Grounds for Marriage
by bahjcb
Summary: In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce.  The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage.   -Robert Anderson, "Solitaire/Double Solitaire"
1. Hurts a Little More

**Disclaimer: We all know I don't own LWD or anything else (such as **_**The Philadelphia Story**_** this idea came from) so why do we bother with this? BTW, thanks **wprincessannw** for the great idea!**

* * *

It's weird...you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second...just so it can hurt a little more. — Unknown

* * *

The couple's cold, silent rage seemed to permeate throughout the house like the heat of the sun at noon day in a desolate desert. The butler and his wife, the Venturi's private chef, hustled out of the way careful to remain unseen and most importantly, out of range. They needn't have worried, however, as both Venturis were too focused on each other to even bother with anyone else.

Derek stormed across the hall and down the stairs, moving almost as swiftly as he did upon the ice, a duffel bag thrown over one shoulder and a suitcase in his free hand. Casey followed her husband throughout their palatial home keeping unusually silent but being surprisingly helpful by carrying his hockey equipment and his camcorder—sans bag.

Reaching the front door, Derek grabbed the knob with his free hand and slammed the door open. Stepping through the entryway, the incensed male half of the feuding Venturis, then slammed it shut behind him, almost smacking Casey with the thick wood of the closing door.

Becoming even angrier, due to the near miss, Casey wrenched the door open and stomped down the front steps, hot on her inconsiderate toad of a husband's heels.

Hearing Casey's abnormally loud footsteps, Derek turned with a smirk and a raised, questioning brow.

Returning smirk for smirk, Casey lifted Derek's expensive camcorder, as if she were getting ready to hand it to Derek, when she threw it to the concrete, smashing it to pieces.

Nostrils flaring as he tried to contain his boiling temper, Derek tossed his luggage into the backseat of his red convertible before turning to roar at his not-so-blushing bride.

Casey, grinning maliciously, had thrown Derek's hockey equipment—sans hockey stick—and had taken several steps back out of her livid husband's reach. Feeling safe, she held the lucky, Stanley Cup winning, hockey stick in her hands horizontally and brought it down quickly over her knee. Throwing the broken pieces at Derek's feet, Casey turned to prance back into her home.

Derek, on the other hand, stood there for a moment in shock. He _knew_ Casey _knew_ how much that hockey stick meant to him and to have her destroy it like that…the fury that had fled in the wake at the utter horror of losing his prized position, came rushing back. Chasing after his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Derek roughly grabbed Casey by the shoulders and swung her around to face his rage reddening face.

Casey almost cringed when she saw the wild look in Derek's eyes. For a moment, she was sure he was going to punch her, and in that second she felt some regret for breaking the hockey stick in front of him like that, but in her ire over the fact that he would dare do such a thing caused Casey to quickly shake those budding feelings of guilt.

Derek, too, thought he was going to hit Casey. He even had raised his hand to do so when his better judgment won over and instead, Derek placed one hand across Casey's face and shoved her to the floor.

Rubbing her now aching neck, Casey watched Derek throw his hockey equipment in the passenger seat of his car before speeding off in a whorl of dust and leaves. Standing up, she carefully shut the front door and slowly made her way up to her room. Flopping down on "her side" of the king sized bed, Casey wondered why just days before—when she and Derek had been sharing the bed—it had seemed so small and now as she laid there alone it seemed so freakishly large.


	2. Time Kills

**Two Years Later**

* * *

Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them. — Dion Boucicault

* * *

The London Free Press

Life  
Society Wedding of the Year  
By Joanne Anderson, QMI AGENCY

LONDON – The London social scene awaits with baited breath the nuptials of Ms. Casey McDonald Venturi, former wife of retired hockey sensation Derek Venturi, to Mr. Fitzwilliam Kittredge, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Culture and rising star on the political scene…

…The wedding will take place this Saturday at the Chapel of Hope here in London. Guests only by invitation, so party crashers don't even try!

* * *

"Ugg," Marti groaned as she forced herself out of Lizzie's environmentally friendly car. "Why are we here again?"

"Casey's getting married," Lizzie explained for the umpteenth time since Marti got in her car.

"To an idiot," Marti emphatically interrupted.

Lizzie nodded her head in acknowledgement as she handed Marti her duffle bag. "Casey would kill us if we weren't here to show a united front before all the media."

"Does that mean Smerek will be here?" the teen asked hopefully. "Technically, he is Casey's family being her step-brother and all."

"I don't think he was invited," Lizzie reluctantly admitted.

"This party is going to be sooo boring."

"You said it," Edwin agreed, meeting the girls at the door of Casey's palatial home. After giving Marti an obligatory hug and a hello kiss to Lizzie, he continued, "I've been here all day and already I would rather watch paint dry than continue with this charade of happy family crap."

"Casey's that bad?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah. And, she acts like Derek doesn't even exist which is going to make those family pictures all the more awkward."

"It all her fault Smerek left us," Marti groused. "Sometimes I really hate her."

Edwin and Lizzie exchange a look but never dared reply to Marti's accusation.

The awkward moment was interrupted by the click of Casey's overpriced pumps striking the fine Italian marble.

"Lizzie, Marti, it's about time you two got here."

Marti pulled a face but Casey, now a master at self-delusion, just ignored her and went on. "My wedding is in three days…"

"Counting today," Lizzie, Marti, and Edwin all wearily chorused.

"Correct," Casey agreed. "And we have a ton of things we have to get done."

"Oh, yay," Lizzie dryly enthused.

Giving her sister a dirty look, Casey continued, "Edwin, grab the newest gifts I need to open and bring them along to the sitting room. I want to make sure everyone gets the appropriate thank you cards."

"Is that why you have all of your gift displayed?" Marti asked as she followed Casey into the sitting room.

"Yes. Next to each gift is a place card with the names of the people who gave Fitz and I the gift."

"What is this?" Marti asked, lifting up a small, silver-looking, two-pronged, fork-like object.

"That," Casey snapped, pulling the item out of Marti's hand and replacing it on the gift table. "Is part of my sterling silver cheese knife set."

"What are you going to do with a cheese knife set? You don't eat that much cheese," Marti added in explanation.

Casey just glared at the younger woman before continuing across the room with her list.

Returning her glare, Marti defiantly turned back to the table and quickly switched two of the cards around.

"Marti," Lizzie quietly reprimanded. "Not now."

Seeing the standoff between his fiancée and his sister, Edwin juggled Casey's latest packages and replaced the cards to their proper position.

"Thank you," Lizzie said, rewarding him with a quick kiss before hurrying over to the demanding bride.

Turning, Edwin found a dark look on the face of his homicidal, little sister. Leaning forward, he whispered, "Switch the crystal Champaign flutes with the lily covered, candle snuffer. Casey wants to impress those two people."

"Thanks, Ed," Marti replied with a grin, doing as he said.

Edwin just smiled and winked at her before hurrying over to give Casey her packages.

"Lizzie, take notes while I open the gifts," Casey instructed. "Edwin, I want you to find a place on the tables for the new gifts."

"What am I supposed to do?" Marti asked as she plopped down on a chair next to the stressed trio.

"Remain quiet and be on your best behavior," Casey snapped. "I don't want you to do anything to ruin Fitz and my big day. Do you understand?"

"You weren't nearly this big of a bitch when you were with Derek. I don't blame him for hitting you."

"Marti," Nora reprimanded, coming into the room. "Derek never hit Casey. That's just what the tabloids printed trying to make their divorce seem all the more spectacular. And, don't use that language."

"Humph," Marti replied, returning to her sulking.

"Casey," Nora said, turning her attention to her fuming eldest. "Shouldn't you be getting ready to go horseback riding with Fitz? He should be here any minute."

"He said he'd call when he was on his way," Casey informed her mother, her temper settling down at the thought of her reliable fiancé.

"Oh," Edwin exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Case. Fitz called. He should be waiting for you down at the barn right now."

"What?" she shouted jumping up. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot," Edwin said, defending himself. "I was on my way to tell you when Lizzie and Marti arrived."

"You people are trying to sabotage my relationship with Fitzwilliam Kittredge, but it won't work. In three days, counting today, we will be getting married at the Chapel of Hope in front of all our friends and family and WE WILL BE HAPPY!"

"Casey," Nora soothed, placing a gentle (and wary) hand upon her eldest daughter's arm. "Let's go get you ready for Fitz."

Shaking her mother off, Casey started to walk towards a shrinking Edwin but stopped. Instead, she snapped, "Don't call me Case!"

Turning on her heel, Casey stomped to the door with Nora chasing after her, leaving the rest of the room in shocked relief.

* * *

"Casey," Nora tentatively asked as they reached Casey's overly large bedroom. "Are you sure about this?"

"M-om! Not, you too."

"It's just…you and Derek were so happy and Fitz…"

"Fitz is the perfect gentleman," Casey defended.

"He doesn't challenge you," Nora argued.

"He doesn't pick stupid fights, no," she dryly answered her mother. "Mom," Casey said, heading off another of Nora's arguments. "You and George, you're happy. I know you wouldn't trade him, would you?"

"Well, no…but that doesn't mean…"

"Mom, we're just second marriage kind of women. Our first marriages didn't work. They weren't right. Our second husbands," Casey said with a happy sigh. "They're our soul mates."

Giving her daughter a stern look, Nora answered, "My marriage to Dennis was not wrong, if only for the fact that he gave me you and Lizzie."

"M-om…"

"No, Casey, you listen to me. Do not make Fitz out to be some romantic hero. You're going to be disappointed. No," Nora repeated as Casey tried to interrupt. "You will be. I love George and I'm happy with him, but he has his faults. Just like everyone else. No one is perfect, Casey, not even you."

Sighing, Nora stepped back and grasped the doorknob. "I'll let you get ready for your date." Pausing as she shut the door, she added, "Casey, just think about what I said."

Plopping down on her bed, Casey wondered what everyone had against Fitz. He was a perfectly lovely man.

* * *

The Chapel of Hope is a real place. I know nothing about it beyond what I read about it on the internet. I picked that place for a very specific purpose, which you will find out later in the story.


	3. To Puzzle and Confound

A/N: Sorry for not updating last week. Real life imploded on me in a serious way.

* * *

Tell the truth so as to puzzle and confound your adversaries. — Henry Wotton

* * *

"Here to see Vedder, Noel?"

Noel looked up from his smart phone, where he had been playing an electronic card game, to see a grinning Sally Gilchrist leaning against the wall next to his chair, large camera bag slung over her shoulder.

Smiling in response, Noel slipped his phone into his pocket as he popped up out of his seat. Pulling Sally into a tight hug, he finally replied. "Did you enjoy L.A.?"

Keeping her arms wrapped around Noel, Sally dropped her head back enough to look into the big eared man's blue eyes. "It was awful. It's completely fake. You don't know how glad I am to be back home."

After giving her a friendly peck on the forehead, Noel stepped back. "I'm glad you're back. Even though we're just a gossip rag, I can't write without my partner."

"Partner," Sally dryly replied. "I just take the pictures. You're the wordsmith."

Shrugging off her complement, Noel said, "You occasionally come up with a bright idea that helps my blocks."

"Wow," a new voice sarcastically exclaimed. "Feel the love."

Turning her head, Sally felt her jaw dropping just a bit to see the intruder into her and Noel's rather admittedly pathetic moment. Noel, however, scowled in response to the interloper's remark.

"Derek Venturi?" Sally questioned.

Strolling forward, Derek leered, looking her over. "Long time, no see, Sally Gilchrist."

"What are you doing here?" Noel barked.

Looking Noel up and down, as if he found the other man wanting, Derek replied, "And I thought you were supposed to be the polite one of Case's loser friends."

Sally wasn't sure, but she was fairly certain, that she actually heard Noel growl. Her suspicion was confirmed, however, when she saw Derek's smirk deepen.

"To answer your question, Covington, I have an appointment with your editor…Eddie Vedder, I believe her name is."

Before Noel could think of a comeback, Vedder's secretary rounded the corner snapping, "There you two are! Vedder's waiting for you. Get moving!"

Noel turned on his heal and stormed after the irate woman. Adjusting her camera bag, Sally started after them.

Quickly catching up with Sally, Derek leaned over and whispered into her ear, "I've never known you to chase after a man that obviously before, Sally."

Giving him a look, she bitterly replied, "Not that obviously, evidently."

Laughing, Derek followed on her angrily snapping heels.

* * *

"Fitz, I'm so sorry I'm late," Casey called as she scrambled out of the estate's jeep.

"You're fine," Fitz assured her with a laugh. Standing up from the bench he was sitting on, he brushed off his expensive riding trousers and hurried over to his still apologizing bride-to-be.

"Wedding preparations and…"

"Casey," he firmly interrupted, taking her hands in his. "It's fine. I wasn't waiting long. I promise. Besides, Minister Baum called me while I was waiting. I took care of his problem and now I'm all yours for the rest of the evening."

Calming down, Casey softly smiled at her fiancé. "Fitz, you're a saint. You're too good for me."

Grinning brightly, Fitz pulled her into his arms. "No, Casey McDonald Venturi, you're too good for _me_."

Draping her arms around his shoulders, Casey gave Fitz her best, flirtatious smile.

"What did I do to deserve you, Fitzwilliam Kittredge?"

"Just be you," he flirted back, kissing her on the tip of her nose.

Anymore overtly syrupy flirting was put on indefinite hold by the vomit inducing smell of horse droppings that were plopping down next to them.

"What the…" Fitz exclaimed, jumping back from the raised horse tail.

"Damn it, Ralph," Casey yelled. "What are you doing?"

Blinking wide brown eyes, Ralph Papadapolis just looked at Casey in some confusion.

"I'm just bringing you your horses. I thought you two wanted to go for a ride."

Closing her eyes in frustration, and trying to stop herself from losing her temper (in their six month courtship, Fitz had yet to see such an act), Casey slowly counted to ten in her head.

"I should have fired him when Derek left," she mumbled under her breath.

Ralph, guessing what she was griping about, grinned.

Taking a deep, cleansing breath, and slowly letting it out, left Casey feeling a bit more able to deal with Ralph.

"Thank you, Ralph." Turning to her fiancé, Casey then asked, "Ready to go?"

"If you are," Fitz conceded.

Ralph held the reins as Fitz helped Casey onto her horse and then mounted his own.

"Thank you, Mr. Papadapolis," Fitz sincerely called as he and Casey trotted out of the corral.

Ralph just smiled and waved, watching them till they were out of sight. Once he felt he was safely alone, Ralph pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed in a familiar number. Upon hearing the hello, he reported, "I got the horse positioned just before it pooped, but it missed Casey completely."

"Damn!"

"Language, Smarti," he reprimanded with a grin.

"Shut up," Marti replied. "No one can call me that but Smerek!"

"I'm sorry, Marti," Ralph said, sobering up. "I wish there was more that I could do."

"Are you sure there isn't?"

"Casey completely ruined my best friend," he snapped. "If there was _anything_ I could do I would. I don't like her anymore than you do."

"I know," Marti sighed. "I just wish Smerek were here. He'd know what to do."

"He could prank Casey better than anyone," Ralph conceded.

"Not just for that," she argued.

"I know," Ralph sadly agreed. "I know."

* * *

Eddie Vedder was everything a high-profile, career woman should look like, and nothing like the editor of a sleazy gossip rag that she was. Tall and buxom with full red lips and shampoo commercial, blonde hair, she looked exactly like the type of woman Derek Venturi used to date before his marriage to Casey McDonald. In fact, Noel Covington was positive, she was exactly the type of woman Derek Venturi would seduce now that he was single once again.

Seeing Noel's scowl and Sally's look of complete and utter frustration as they entered her office, Eddie just smirked. Seeing Derek, however, she grinned.

"Venturi," she cooed, stretching out her hand in greeting.

Giving her his most charming and flirtatious grin, Derek took her well manicured appendage in hand and gave it a lingering kiss followed by a gentle squeeze. Perching himself on the corner of her desk, he replied, "Vedder. Looking even more beautiful than since we last met."

"You," she laughed, "are a complete flirt, but I love it."

"Why are we here?" Noel snapped, breaking the mood of playful flirtation.

Removing her hand from Derek's grasp, a cool smirk fell across Eddie's face as she turned her large, leather chair towards her admittedly star reporter.

"I have an assignment for you and Gilchrist, Covington. I assume you're not too busy to hear what it is?"

"Sorry," he muttered, thoroughly chastened.

Giving him one last lingering look, Vedder leaned back in her chair to better observe both Noel and Sally.

"As I'm sure you both know, Casey McDonald Venturi and Fitzwilliam Kittredge will be getting married this Saturday. So far, no journalist have made it into the wedding—which has become an annoyance to us all."

"I don't see why Casey has to have reporters at _her_ wedding," Noel loyally argued.

"Because she's become a _name_," Vedder replied, clearly annoyed. "If she didn't want to become a name she should have made such a public fuss during her divorce."

As Noel's jaw dropped open to snap at his editor, Sally leaned over and put her hand across his mouth. "Not now," she warned him.

"Listen to your partner," Vedder advised. "_She's_ not a lovelorn idiot."

Derek snorted upon hearing that. Seeing Vedder's look of annoyance, he gave her another charming grin and apologized.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt. Do go on."

Giving him a look of warning, she turned back to her employees.

"_We_, however, got an in. You'll be following Casey McDonald Venturi around for the next two days, asking questions and taking pictures. We'll be devoting an entire issue to their wedding."

"How are we supposed to get in?" Noel asked. "Neither Sally nor I have seen Casey since high school."

"I'm surprised you remembered I knew her once," Sally muttered to herself.

Everyone ignored her and Vedder gave Noel a look that questioned his intelligence.

"Seriously? Why else do you think Derek Venturi is even here?"

Noel laughed. "She hates Derek. Everyone knows that. There's no way he can get us in!"

"Did you forget, Covington," Derek drawled, smirk firmly in place. "I'm _still_ part of the family. They need me for the family pictures."

Sally started to laugh. "You really _do_ despise her, don't you? The rumor mill assumed you did, after she made sure to ruin you…"

"I helped her," Derek interrupted. "I got involved with the celebrity life. I partied, I drank…"

"You _did_ cheat on her," Noel accused.

"No…not that I can remember," Derek amended. "Blackouts," he added with a self-deprecating grin. "The…woman, could never prove anything, but Casey has never liked uncertainties."

"So, if you aren't trying to get back at her…" Sally let her voice trail off.

"Casey did help me," he haltingly admitted. "When I cooled down and realized we were really over…I'm no longer a drunk."

"And this will help Casey, how?" Noel snapped.

"Case is an idiot if she thinks keeping the press away is the way to deal with them. Squelch the rumors and bring in someone she can trust. I assumed," Derek added with raised brows, "she could trust _you_."

"Of course," Noel quickly agreed. "But, what's in it for _you_?"

Grinning delightedly at Noel's perception, Derek answered, "I may not hate her, but Casey did get all the money and property in our divorce. And, as she somehow blackballed me in hockey (I'd still love to know how she accomplished that), I am regrettably unable to acquire funds for things like eating. I can live off the proceeds from this little venture. I'll never go hungry again," he added with a laugh.

Noel gave Derek a look of total disgust before turning to his editor. "I need to go home and pack a bag. I'll be ready to leave in half an hour."

"Make it three hours," Sally interrupted. "I have some laundry to finish before I can go on another jaunt."

"As long as you're there for dinner," Vedder agreed.

"We'll be there for the pre-dinner cocktail," Sally assured her. "Casey has become that pretentious, right?"

"Last I heard," Derek snarked. "Casey always was a bit of a diva."

"Go!" Vedder interrupted the potential squabbling. "The sooner you go, the sooner you can get to the McDonald-Venturi Estate."

Noel gave Derek one final, bitter glare before storming out the door. Sally sighed heavily as followed him.

"I better get going," Derek said, standing up from his perch on Vedder's ridiculously large and ornate desk. "I have a lunch appointment with my attorney."

"Sam Richards can wait," Vedder drawled, leaning back in her chair and looking at Derek through hooded eyes. "We both know you are making enough money as _Gossip Blogger, Daphne Devereaux_, that this little excursion is completely pointless. Why are you really helping me?"

"Does it matter?"

"No. But I _am_ curious."

"Curious enough to end this deal?" Derek tested.

Vedder thought about for a second before nodding. "Noel and Sally could get in there on their own if I really pushed them. And, I have the feeling that I could grease a couple of palms (at a much cheaper rate than what I'm paying you) to get further access. Rumor has it that the McDonald-Venturi family isn't universally thrilled by this marriage."

"You've thought this through."

"I'm a quick thinker," she replied with a shrug. "You don't get my kind of reputation without being able to think on your feet."

Sitting back down on his previous perch, Derek gave Vedder an appreciative smirk.

"You are good."

"So…"

Conceding with a nod of his head, Derek replied, "I've met Fitzwilliam Kittredge. He's a nice guy. Naïve, but nice."

"You're _saving _your ex-wife's fiancé." Vedder clearly didn't believe him one iota.

Standing back up, Derek countered, "Review the second to last word there and I think you'll get it. So, is the deal still on?"

Vedder chuckled. "I do believe I've been out maneuvered. I respect that. I'll find out what you're up to eventually. Probably along with the rest of Canada."

"But you will find out," Derek added with an amused smirk.

"I _am_ the nosiest bitch this side of the Rockies," she bragged, her bright, red lips stretched into a wide smile.

* * *

Trotting along the artificially made-up trail, Casey and Fitz didn't say much to each other. Fitz was too busy enjoying the peacefulness of nature while Casey was keeping all of her attention on staying on the saddle.

Fitz, turning to his fiancée to point out the beautiful plumage of a nearby bird, saw her struggle and reined in his horse.

"Casey, pull her to a stop," he commanded.

Breathing a sigh of relief at stopping, Casey turned a beatific smile upon her thoughtful Fitz.

"Aren't you enjoying our…excursion?"

"I am," Fitz agreed. "But you aren't."

"What?" Casey exclaimed. "I love riding horses!"

"No, you don't," he countered with an indulgent grin. "You think horses are dirty and smelly."

"No!...well…maybe," she caved.

Reaching out, Fitz took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Casey, why are we riding horses?"

"You _love_ horses…and this seemed like an appropriate thing for us to do together."

Laughing, Fitz shook his head, clearly enamored by the woman whose hand he was holding. "You _are_ the perfect woman."

"Oh, Fitz…"

"No," he argued. "You are. _Nevertheless_, I want you to know that you don't have to pretend for me. Derek Venturi may have wanted you to be someone you weren't, but _I_ don't. You are absolutely beautiful and perfect just the way you are. Don't ever change."

Blushing, Casey returned Fitz's hand clasp. "Fitz, you are a saint."

"How could I help but be one when you make me a better man? You rise me to a higher standard."

"Oh, Fitz," she sighed.

The restless movement of their animals pulled the betrothed couple's attention away from each other.

Upon calming their animals, Fitz said, "Let's head back."

Checking her watch, Casey exclaimed, "Now I'll have enough time to do my hair for dinner."

"Darling, it takes you no time at all to look beautiful since you always do."

"Fitz, you are prejudiced."

"In a good way," he argued.

"Perhaps," she laughed.

"Casey," Fitz said, after another period of silence that was only broken by the sounds of the clop clop of their horses' hooves.

"Hum?"

"Why does Derek Venturi's best friend work for you?"

"Sam doesn't work for me."

"Ralph Papadapolis."

"Oh! Ralph was fired from another job and had nowhere to go. I had wanted to take riding lessons, that was before I'd been around horses, and Ralph had spent some time at his grandparents' ranch every summer and knew how to take care of horses. Derek decided to buy couple of horses so I could learn to ride and Ralph could have a permanent job.

"After Derek and I split up…well, Ralph is good at his job…"

"There's no need to explain further," Fitz interrupted. "As I said, you're perfect. Of course you wouldn't fire Ralph just because his friend is a…well, a word I won't say in front of a lady."

"Fitz," Casey sighed with a grin. "_You_ are perfect."

"No I'm not," he argued. "You've yet to find this out, but I snore."

Giggling, she asserted, "Perfect for me."

* * *

Buckling her seatbelt, Sally asked, "Is the topic of conversation for this trip going to be how this is a disgusting job and how you are meant for better things but are too busy earning food money to look for another job or how you haven't seen Casey McDonald in ages and bet she's even more beautiful than when you knew her?"

Noel blinked in surprise before a slow grin spread across his face. "Does someone want to talk about herself?"

"You are so dense. I'm fine being a member of the paparazzi. It pays the bills and allows me to eat. You're the one who felt you could be so much more. If only you hadn't let little plebian things like needing food to survive sway you into taking a job for Vedder."

"You're sounding bitter," Noel needlessly pointed out.

Sally wanted to snap something along the lines of "Thank you, Captain Obvious," but she held her tongue.

"Is it because of seeing Derek again?"

Sally actually burst into laughter at that. "I'm sorry. It's just that I haven't even thought about Derek Venturi in _years_. Also, _I_ broke up with him, I'll have you know."

"Soooo, what's wrong?" Noel asked, clearly confused.

"Nothing," she sighed. "Sleep deprivation. L.A. is several time zones away."

"Get some rest," he instructed. "It's at least a forty-five minute drive."

"Only because you're a granny driver," Sally teased.

Smiling, glad to see his friend and partner back to form, Noel countered, "There's nothing wrong with driving the speed limit."

"It's not normal."

"Keep telling yourself that, speed demon," Noel teased back. "Now get some sleep."

Leaning her seat back, Sally closed her eyes. She hoped her nap would help her get over losing a second man to the same woman.

* * *

"Sam," Derek reprimanded. "You're late."

"Five minutes," Sam countered, setting his napkin in his lap. "Get over yourself. How did the appointment with Vedder and company go?"

"Noel and Sally are good to go."

Looking over the menu, Sam asked, "Do you think your plan is actually going to work?"

"When haven't my plans worked?" Derek asked with a smirk.

Dropping his menu down to see his friend's reaction, Sam threw back, "When Casey divorced you?"

His smirk dropping away into a frown, Derek replied, "Except then."

"Never. Though I could have blocked the other incidents from my mind in some sort of self-defense."

"You know, it's been awhile since Kendra and I last spoke."

"You wouldn't," Sam growled with narrowed eyes.

Glad to have the upper hand once again, Derek's smirk quickly returned. "Just try me."

"Fine," Sam said with a heavy sigh. "I'll do my part."

"Excellent."

"Did you know that you sound like some sort of evil genius when you say that?"

"Well, that is what I am," Derek countered.

"Too freakin' true," Sam agreed, turning his attention back to his menu. "Are you paying?"

"Yes."

"Steak and lobster it is then."

"You are so lame," Derek commented with a shake of his head, turning his attention to his own menu.


	4. Only the Starting Point

Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything. _—_ Napoleon Hill

* * *

"Welcome," Casey said in her most gracious hostess voice.

"Hello," Mrs. Kittredge (Casey's future mother-in-law) replied with a large grin. "So good to see you again, dear."

"What she said," Mr. Kittredge (Casey's future father-in-law) barked. "Liquor over there?" He evidently felt the question was rhetorical as he walked right up to the patio's bar and started filling up a glass.

"I don't like her!" Mother Ennis shouted to her rapidly reddening daughter. "She has shifty eyes."

Mrs. Kittredge gave Casey a tight, apologetic smile before returning her attention to the demented woman who gave her life. "Mumsy dear, Casey's a very nice woman and we're very lucky to have her join our family."

"Don't call me 'Mumsy dear,'" the old woman bellowed. "I'm not an idiot. And, I DON'T LIKE HER!" With each word, Mother Ennis got louder. To further emphasize her point, she poked Casey in the thigh with her cane.

"Mama! Be nice!" Mrs. Kittredge reprimanded, pushing the cane back down.

"It's alright," Casey stated, her smile now etched in stone. "She didn't hurt me."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, you idiot! If I wanted to hurt you…"

"Mama!" Mrs. Kittredge interrupted.

"MIL, here's a drink," Mr. Kittredge announced, shoving a full, frothy glass into his mother-in-law's free hand.

"About damn time someone offered me some hospitality," Mother Ennis barked taking a swig of her drink before hobbling off to find a seat.

"So, sorry, dear," Mrs. Kittredge muttered before flittering after her mother.

"She's not a bad sort," Mr. Kittredge explained. Looking down at his now empty glass, he added, "Must get a refill."

Now alone, Casey mumbled under her breath, "Not a bad sort my…"

"Casey!"

"Fitz," she exclaimed, whirling around to face her fiancé.

Kissing her on the cheek, he apologized, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. That was my last business call for the night. I promise."

Smiling at him, Casey reached up and stroked his freshly shaven cheek. "You're wonderful."

"Crazy eyes, leave my grandson alone!"

"Mama!"

Softly chuckling, Fitz whispered, "I see Meme is here. I best go say hello. Meme," he happily called, trotting over to his grandmother.

"Here," Lizzie's softly said, interrupting Casey's troubled thoughts. "You looked like you could use a pick-me-up."

Taking the proffered drink, Casey gave her younger sister a wan smile. "This party is a complete failure."

"No, it's not," Lizzie argued with a grin. "Edwin and Dad are chatting away."

"They're the only ones. Minster Healey is tapping away on his smart phone, ignoring everyone around him. Mom and George are in one corner whispering to each other…"

"They're worried about Marti," Lizzie interrupted, her expression completely serious.

Rolling her eyes, Casey snapped, "Marti's just a sulking teenager. Everyone goes through that phase. We grew out of it. So will she."

"Since you're being so compassionate, let me remind you that…never mind," Lizzie sighed. "I can see you're not in the mood for few home truths and right now you'll just be argumentative."

Showing that she'd completely tuned her sister out, Casey sighed and took a sip of her drink. "Hopefully no other uninvited guests will show up," she said, glaring at Mother Ennis who was glaring right hatefully back.

Demonstrating fate's sense of humor, Boxley (Casey's butler – he and his wife having worked at the estate as far back as when Derek first purchased the large home) stepped onto the patio in his stately way and announced, "Miss Martina. You have a guest here to see you."

Marti, who's head shot up at hearing her _rarely_ used given name, sat up straight as a board from her formally bored slump and hurried asked, "Really?"

"He is waiting for you in the front parlor, miss," Boxley assured her.

Jumping out of her seat, Marti raced from the room before anyone could stop her.

Growling under her breath, Casey said, "You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Lizzie, upon hearing this, felt her lips twitch up into a smile.

* * *

"Smerek," Marti screamed, running into her big brother's waiting arms.

Picking her up, Derek twirled her around, the both of them laughing. Placing her back down on the ground, Derek stepped back – keeping his hands on her shoulders – and looked her over with a large smile upon his face.

"Smarti, you've grown up into a beautiful young woman."

Giggling, Marti threw herself back into Derek's arms.

"I've missed you _**so**_ much, Smerek."

"I've missed you too, Smarti."

Trying to blink back her tears, Marti told him, "I _hate_ Casey. She made you go away and now she's trying to replace you."

Kissing the top of her head, Derek then stepped back to look into his little sister's eyes.

"It's not Casey's fault, Marti. It was mine. **I** should have kept in better contact with you."

"I still hate her," Marti insisted, attaching herself to Derek's chest.

"What are _you_ doing here?" the angry voice of Casey McDonald Venturi snapped, interrupting the siblings' moment.

"Casey," Derek said with a self-satisfied smirk. "How are you doing? Congratulations on the marriage, by the way."

"Ha!" she snapped. "What are _you_ doing in _my_ house?"

"I came to see my sister. And," he added before she could interrupt. "I brought two old friends over to see you."

It was then that Casey noticed the, till then, silent couple.

Smirk deepening, Derek said, "I'm sure you remember Noel Covington and Sally Gilchrist. They're reporters now. A regular Lois Lane and Clark Kent."

"Except for the whole moonlighting in tights thing," Sally dryly added.

Laughing Derek agreed, "Except for that, of course."

"Ah…" Casey mumbled. "You're…um…Derek," she hissed, finally deciding on whom to address. "Why did you bring reporters here?"

Noel hurried forward, as Casey wasn't speaking in as a low of a voice as she assumed she was, and quickly reassured her about their presences.

"Casey, your wedding is major social event right now. Not having any sort of reports will only make things worse. We…"

"You," Sally snarked under her breath.

"We promise to be completely discreet," Noel added, his eyes wide with his sincerity.

"I…I…" Casey stuttered, feeling trapped and unsure of where to go. "I don't think Fitz…"

"You don't think I'd what," Fitz's jovial voice interrupted as he came into the room and wrapped one arm loosely around Casey's waist.

A quick look from Derek caused Marti to snap her mouth back shut. It didn't, however, get Sally to keep hers shut.

Grinning, she stepping forward, proffering her hand, and saying, "Sally Gilchrist. This is my fiancé, Noel Covington. We were in the area, heard about your wedding, and just had to stop by. We knew Casey in high school. It's been so long since we've seen each other," Sally gushed to a stiff Casey.

Shaking Sally's hand, Fitz laughed. "Casey, sweetie."

Derek barely kept back his bark of laughter at the term of endearment. Casey's glare almost caused him to lose his self-control.

Not noticing their exchange, Fitz went on, "It's your wedding, too. You can invite your old school mates."

Derek did laugh at that. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he quickly spun out, "Sorry, Marti was tickling me. Do go on. Casey's wedding too, that's where you were."

Giving Derek a strange look, Fitz did continue. "In fact, I insist that the two of you join our festivities now."

"Oh, we'd love to," Sally sighed. "But we're still looking for a hotel. It seems like the entire town is booked up for your wedding!"

Feeling Fitz's expectant look upon her face, Casey sighed. "Sally, Noel, stay here. I have tons of room."

"Oh, we couldn't impose," Noel insisted. He still wasn't sure that writing an article about Casey's wedding was something he should be doing.

"It's not an imposition," Casey automatically said with absolutely no feeling in the words.

"Thank you so much," Sally gushed. "Noel grab our bags."

"Let me show you to the guest rooms," Fitz offered. "They're all done up right now, so you can pick which one you like best."

"We'll need two rooms," Noel insisted following Fitz out of the room. "We're…um…"

"Oh," Fitz assured him. "I understand."

Sally stopped by Casey on her way out the door. "I hope you don't mind the little fib. It puts people more at ease when they don't realize we're reporters."

Three remaining in the room could hear Sally ask Fitz, as she followed him out into the hall, "I hope you don't mind if I take pictures. I just want to scrapbook this whole, exciting experience."

"No, go right ahead."

Once they could no longer hear the other's voices, Casey turned to Derek, blinking back the tears in her eyes, and snapped, "You couldn't let me have one perfect moment, could you?"

"Casey," he plead.

"No," she answered with a shake of her head. "I'm finally getting on with my life and you pull this."

"That's not fair!"

Anything else he would have said, however, fell on deaf ears as Casey turned around and marched out the door.

"She's a bitch," Marti spat.

"Don't," Derek snapped. "Don't you dare say that. It's not _all_ Casey's fault."

Marti didn't say anything else, but it was clear that she didn't agree with him.

* * *

Dennis could tell from the way his oldest daughter was standing and the way her smile didn't seem to reach her eyes, that she was none too thrilled about the newest arrivals—especially the one who was snapping pictures of everyone and everything.

Leaning over to whisper into the ear of his youngest daughter's fiancé and step-brother, Dennis said, "It looks like this party is finally becoming interesting."

Edwin, shocked at the remark, turned to look at his future father-in-law with wide eyes. "What?"

"Come on," Dennis laughed. "You and I know this party is made up of the most ill-suited groups of people to walk the planet. Casey threw _much_ better parties when she was married to Derek."

"Casey would probably argue with that. She doesn't believe _anything_ was better with Derek."

"Casey," Dennis explained, "is too caught up in perfection. Nora and mine divorce hit her hard. She's just sure that if she finds perfection, everything will be alright. What she doesn't realize is that life will never give her perfection and that the conflict, the problems, the everyday living, is what makes life interesting."

"So, she's been so crazy since the divorce because Derek let her down?" Edwin asked, voice showing his uncertainness.

"Derek…Derek might have made a major mistake," Dennis slowly stated.

"The whore, as Lizzie calls her," Edwin added, blushing a dark red.

"Yes," Dennis laughed. Sobering, he continued, "Casey retreated to protect herself and Derek let her."

"In some ways," Edwin ventured, "those two are way too much alike."

"Yeah," Dennis agreed. "I think you're right."

* * *

Sipping on a ginger ale, to calm her worried stomach, Casey tried to tell herself that no matter what Sally may seem to think of her, Noel would keep the article in check. Noel wouldn't let Derek get his revenge by ruining her wedding. Just as she started to convince herself to be somewhat calm, however, Boxley stepped out onto the patio with a familiar blond head following after him.

"If I may announce, Mr. Samuel Richards."

"Hello," Sam told the crowd with a small wave. Turning towards Casey, _he_ announced, "Casey, I'm here to talk to you about the trust funds you and Derek set up for your future and now nonexistent children."

"Ha, ha, ha," Casey stridently laughed as she hurried over to Sam's side. "Sam, you kidder you." Turning to the now curious party, she announced, "Sam is Lizzie fiancé."

Lizzie's eyes widened at hearing this news and Sam's eyebrows almost jumped off his face, he had raised them so high in surprise.

Mother Ennis, the soul of discretion that she was, shouted, "I thought that blonde chickie was dating that weird boy over there." And, to make sure no one was confused about who the "weird boy" was, she jabbed her cane in Edwin's general direction.

"That's our step-brother, Edwin Venturi," Casey explained.

Mother Ennis huffed in disbelief, but she didn't say anything else.

Sally, however, bit back a devious smirk and called out, "I could have swore you were married to Kendra, Sam. I'm surprised you two got divorced."

"The end of my marriage was a surprise to me, too," Sam agreed, slipping his wedding ring into his pants pocket. He was sure that with the crazed look in Casey's eyes, that if he disagreed with her at all, he'd lose his hand at the very least.

Smiling beautifully, Lizzie strode to where her sister and "fiancé" were standing, and gave Sam a quick kiss on the cheek. "Get a drink, _love doodle_. I have something I would like to discuss with my dear, dear sister."

"Take your time, _cupcake_," Sam replied with a smile. "I'll just get reacquainted with George and Nora here. I haven't seen them in ages."

As Lizzie dragged Casey back into the house, everyone went back to their own conversations—that is except George and Nora. Pulling Sam over into a quiet corner of the patio, Nora demanded, "What is going on?"

Accepting the drink George handed him with a nod, Sam replied, "Derek and Casey being Derek and Casey."

Sighing, George took a sip from his own drink. "I have to say, I liked it better when we'd come around a corner and find them making out. That was always much easier to deal with than their arguments."

"Amen to that," Nora agreed, raising her glass.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Lizzie demanded as soon as she and Casey were alone.

"I'm sorry," Casey cried. "I panicked. Mother Ennis doesn't know I'm divorced and I just couldn't take another comment from her tonight and…"

Pulling her sister into a hug and effectively cutting Casey's rant off, Lizzie said, "Fine. I'll pretend to be engaged to Sam till after your wedding, but after that, you're going to have to explain to Fitz what's going on. Okay?"

Nodding her head and sniffling, Casey agreed. "Okay."

"Madam," Boxley said, interrupting the sisters. "Dinner is ready. Do you want me to set it back or…"

"No," Casey quickly interrupted. "Announce it now. The sooner we have dinner, the sooner this party is over, and the sooner I can go to bed."

"Hear that," Lizzie agreed with a grin.


	5. The Truth With Bad Intent

**A truth that's told with bad intent beats all the lies you can invent. - William Blake, "Auguries of Innocence," _Poems from the Pickering Manuscript_**

* * *

Leaning back against the pillows he'd propped up behind his back, Sam smiled as he heard his wife lightly hum in thought.

"So, you're saying you're leaving me for Lizzie."

"Apparently," Sam laughed.

Sam knew Kendra was shaking her head as she herself laughed. "Casey is such a mess. I _knew_ we shouldn't have shunned her for the last two years."

"I'm pretty sure she shunned us…In fact, I think when you told her that she was being a, and I quote, 'selfish bitch for trying to leave Derek destitute for what a lying whore _implied_,' end quote, was when she started."

"Didn't help that you're Derek's attorney," Kendra sulked. "And I was right. She was acting like a selfish, un-Casey-like bitch."

"So…there's a Casey-like bitch?" he asked with a teasing grin spreading across his face.

"You're so lucky I'm not there."

Sighing deeply, Sam ran a hand through his tasseled blond hair.

"In all seriousness, Ken, I wish you were here."

"I wish I were there too, baby," Kendra cooed sympathetically.

"I thought you said you that if you ever again had to step but one foot into that monstrosity that Derek bought that you wouldn't be responsible for your actions."

"Details," she replied, waving the problem away. "I want to be there to support you. In fact…"

"Kendra?"

"What if I came up there? I could claim to be having a torrid affair with Edwin."

"An affair that broke up our marriage?"

"And sent your right into Lizzie's arms," she confirmed.

"A relationship that started with us consoling each other over our broken dreams."

"Exactly!" Kendra excitedly exclaimed.

Sam laughed as he said, "While it _would_ be fun to watch Casey flounder with that, I'd rather not have to watch you flirt with Ed."

"What about you and Lizzie? Aren't you two flirting your heads off?"

"We don't believe in public displays of affection."

"You and Lizzie are a boring couple."

"Extremely," Sam agreed. "In fact, I'm fairly certain that I'll abandon the whole thing and come home to my long-suffering wife before long."

"She must be extremely long-suffering to take you back," she teased.

"Best woman in the world."

"You know it," Kendra confirmed with a laugh."

* * *

"Casey's changed," Noel decided as he stalked across Sally's room.

Not looking up from the magazine she was lazily flipping through, Sally muttered, "I should hope so."

"What's that mean?" Noel demanded, stopping his pacing for the moment.

Setting her magazine aside, Sally met his eyes and answered with, "To not change is to become stagnate. After _how many years_ since high school, I would hope she's become a different person."

"She has changed," Noel agreed with a frown. "It just hasn't been for the better. She just seems so…fake."

"Money," Sally answered with a shrug. "It can do that to people."

"I'm going to the library tomorrow. I need to do some research."

"Don't want them to know what you're searching for?" Sally asked with a grin.

"It _would_ be a bit tacky," he agreed.

"I'll drive you. Since we've been invited to that big engagement party tomorrow night, I want to get my nails done."

Pulling out his wallet, Noel handed her a couple of bills. "Don't forget your toes. I'd hate for them to clash with your dress."

Holding the bills up in confusion, Sally asked, "What are you doing?"

"You've been complaining about how tight money is."

"I can afford a mani-pedi," she argued.

"Come on Sal, let me do this for you. We wouldn't even be going tomorrow night if I hadn't manipulated Fitz into asking us."

"Like that was particularly hard."

Grinning, Noel leaned forward and gave her a peck on the forehead. "Sleep tight," he added, before walking out the door.

Looking down at the money in her hand, Sally sighed and whispered, "I hate you, Noel Covington."

* * *

Rubbing the bridge of her nose in an effort to steam off a headache, Lizzie finally snapped.

"Casey, Shut UP!"

"Excuse me," Casey exclaimed, stepping back in surprise. "What is _your _problem?"

"My **problem**? My problem is that you're driving me NUTS! I know Derek used to think your Casey panic-attacks were adorable, but I'm NOT Derek!" Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Lizzie tried again. "Casey, take a break. I know _exactly_ what you want. I can work with Jennifer—Wedding Planner Extraordinaire, and finish up the last bits of detail. So, go!"

"Go where?" Casey asked, feeling a bit lost.

Sighing once again, Lizzie suggested, "The library. Find a good book and get lost in it. I heard Noel wrote a book."

"He did?"

"Sally mentioned something like that at dinner last night. I'm fairly certain she was bragging," Lizzie added with a grin.

"Are you sure…"

"YES!"

"Okay," Casey replied, surprised at her sister's anger. "Okay, I'll go."

"Thank you!"

* * *

Wandering through the library, Noel casually glanced around until a glimpse of color caught his eye. Stopping, Noel trotted backwards a few steps until he could again see what had attracted his attention. Seeing Casey, enraptured in a book and wrapped in an airy, blue summer dress, Noel felt a smile spread across his face. Sneaking down another aisle, Noel came up and around Casey's table without letting her see him. Then, with careful precision, Noel leaned over Casey's shoulder just far enough to see what she was reading, and annoy her, but far enough back that she couldn't see him with her peripheral vision.

Feeling a person at her back, Casey subtlety straightened, trying to push him back. When that didn't work, she said, "I know this is a public library, but could you…" By that time, she had turned her head and saw a grinning Noel. "Oh. Hello."

"Hello," he answered. "Enjoying my book?"

"Enormously," she enthused. "When you can write poetry like this…why do you work for that awful, tabloid-like paper?"

Shrugging he replied, "No one bought my book, terrible thing libraries are. And as I have this awful condition where I need to eat regularly to survive…"

Tittering, Casey teased, "How pedestrian of you!"

"I know. Sally insists that I get that looked into."

"I'm sure."

"Shush," a librarian hissed as she walked passed them pushing a book cart.

"Come on," Casey whispered. "We can speak freely outside."

With a nod and a grin, Noel hurried after her.

* * *

"Derek," Nora cried, rushing forward to pull her step-son into a hug. "How have you been?"

Amused, Derek lightly patted her on the back before taking a step away from her. "I'm good, Nora. You?"

Looking at him earnestly, she said, "Never mind about me! What's your plan?"

"What plan?" he asked, clearly confused.

"After all this time…"

"Two years."

"You finally return and you don't have a plan! You always have a plan!"

A slight grin spread across his lips, as Derek asked, "What am I supposed to have a plan for?"

Looking completely exasperated with him, Nora leaned forward and whispered, "Casey's wedding!"

Lifting his arm, Derek showed off a wrapped box, saying, "I brought a gift."

Blinking, Nora studied her ex-son-in-law in disbelief, trying to see if he could possibly be serious.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?" Derek wasn't finding this funny anymore.

"The woman you love…"

"Loved," he interrupted. "Past tense."

Her face falling, and looking a bit heart-broken, Nora whispered, "Really?"

"I'm afraid so," he gently broke to her. Glancing to his right, two people in earnest conversation, heading for the pool house, caught his attention. Squeezing Nora's arm in condolence, Derek said, "I see Casey just got home. I'm going to drop off her gift before I head out. I'll call later. I promise."

"Okay," Nora muttered to his retreating back. "I was just so _sure_he loved her and everthing would be just fine. Now what do we do?"

* * *

"I have this little cabin by a lake," Casey enthused. "All that beautiful solitude is the perfect place for a person to write."

Seeing where she was going with this, Noel shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Casey…"

"Noel, I promise I won't just pop up and visit you! I'll only come when...**_if_** you ask me."

"Casey…"

"It's just sitting there all by itself. Not being used! I'd hate for it to go to waste."

"Casey!" Noel said, demanding attention.

"What?" she asked, blinking at his abruptness.

"Thank you, for the offer," he said, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. "But, I can't do it. In this day and age there are no longer lady patrons, only gigolos."

"It doesn't matter what people think…" Casey started to protest.

"It does to me," Noel gently replied.

"But…" she began to argue, only to be cut off by a horribly familiar voice saying, "Space Case, the man has given you his answer. Be lady for once and leave him be."

Frowning, Casey growled, "What are you doing here, Derek?"

"I have a wedding gift," he answered with a grin. Turning to Noel, he asked, "How's the article going? Finding _everything_ you were looking for?"

"I don't like what you are insinuating," Noel replied with a glare.

"Ignore him," Casey commanded. "He was born with the inability to learn manners."

Pulling a deck chair over and sitting next to the duo, Derek laughed. "Case, I think that is the first time you've ever excused my behavior."

"I've always had to excuse your behavior," Casey spat. "Have a drink?" she snidely added. "Or is it not strong enough for you."

"I thought you heard," Derek said, taking the proffered glass of lemonade from her hand. "I've been on the wagon for just over eighteen months now."

"Really?" she asked with a disbelieving look.

"Really," he replied. Turning to Noel, Derek added, "She's always been touchy about my unquenchable thirst."

Looking uncomfortable, Noel muttered, "I'm sure…"

Roaring over him, Casey sneered, "It was disgusting. It made _you_ disgusting."

"You never have been able to accept a man as he is, have you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Casey's generous to a fault," Noel protested.

"Oh," Derek smirked. "To a _fault_. Except for other people's faults. **Ivanhoe** anyone?"

"Shut up," she snapped. "Besides, this is about you…you and you're…"

"What?" Derek shouted. "My what? My drinking or my supposed adultery."

"Supposed?" Casey screamed back. "You _dare_ say **supposed**!"

Leaning back in his seat, Derek sneered, "You've always been a sanctimonious harpy. Wouldn't you agree, Noel?"

When no answer came, both members of the remaining couple looked around for the absent man. Laughing harshly, Derek said, "It looks like we scared him away."

"I'm sure Noel is just too polite to sit around listening to us air our dirty laundry," Casey retorted, defending her missing friend.

Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, Derek countered, "He's a tabloid reporter. Sing me a new song."

"You're impossible," she huffed, turning her head away.

"You used to mean that in a good way."

Looking back at her ex-husband, Casey replied, "You used to be _that_ in a good way. At least until you decided our marriage vows meant nothing to you!"

"Ha," Derek protested. "If I actually thought that was the reason for our divorce."

"It isn't? That's news to me!"

"It _is_ what I tell everyone. It makes it easier to explain…"

"That what?" Casey demanded. "Than your need to chase everything in a skirt out weighing your promise to me."

Giving her a look so full of pity that Casey actually began to doubt her righteous position, Derek calmly replied, "You and I both know that I never cheated on you, that I would _never_ cheat on you. You only need to ask your ex-best friend about that for confirmation."

"Don't bring Emily into this!"

"Why? Because it's so much harder to claim you can't see when the lights are all on?"

"That was so long ago," Casey whispered, standing up and taking several steps away from him.

"We had just gotten engaged," Derek expounded, seemingly ignoring her. "Champagne was flowing—it was a celebration. You found me, dead drunk, alone with Emily. She was trying to convince me to come back to her."

"She was undoing your pants," Casey dryly interrupted.

Grinning, he agreed. "If you want to be explicit."

Turning back around, she snarked, "Oh, by all means, be explicit."

"Fine," he concurred. "You came into a dim and empty room to find Emily trying to stick her hand down my pants and her tongue down my throat, while I tried to fight her off."

"You weren't doing a very good job."

"Lack of coordination. But I was trying," Derek insisted. "You know as well as I do that I never had an affair with that randy tart (as my mother refers to her). Even with my faculties impaired, I would _never_cheat on you. She just wanted money and fame. With your…delayed, but explosive reaction, she got both."

Steam seemed to poor from her ears, as through clenched teeth, Casey demanded, "Then why did we get divorced."

"Why?" Derek asked. "Do you actually want to know?"

"Surprise me, oh enlightened one!"

Staring at his ex-wife for a moment, a moment _too_ long in Casey's book, Derek took another sip of his lemonade, then replied, "I think it all started when I became big in hockey. The money…it was too much and we were too young."

"We're not that old," she protested.

Laughing he said, "That just shows how young we were." Sobering, he continued, "It was too much too soon. We weren't ready for it. And then the tabloids got pictures of you drunk. We were at Wazowski's place, celebrating the team going to nationals. You were completely sloshed when you climbed onto the pool roof naked, and _demanded_ that we all worship you, just as we would the moon."

Scowling, Casey's voice cut through his laughter, as she groused, "I still don't believe you. I may have gotten on to the roof naked, thought why you didn't stop me I'll never know, but I never demanded that you worship me."

"Huh," Derek muttered. "Of course the great Casey McDonald could do _no_ wrong. I was drunk too, Casey. I probably thought it was a good idea at the time."

"Fine! Hurry up and finish your story."

"What? That you were embarrassed?" Derek asked. "We both know that. You went into overdrive perfection mode and never left. Nothing was good enough for you anymore. _**I**_ wasn't good enough for you anymore. And then I increased the amount I drank."

"I was embarrassed and you decide the best way to handle that is to detach yourself from life!"

"I'm not _Ivanhoe_, Case. I never will be."

"I didn't…"

"You did," he corrected, cutting her off. "You wanted me to be Prince Charming and I could never live up to your dreams."

"You were a souse. You couldn't have lived up to my dreams if you wanted to," Casey retorted.

"Perhaps," Derek agreed. "But, you knew what kind of man I was when you married me."

"I deserved better than a drunkard."

"And I deserve a woman who actually wants me and not a caricature of who I am or who I could be."

Casey ingested that before once again taking a step away from him and shaking her head. "You never take responsibility for your actions."

"Oh, I do," Derek replied, standing up. Taking a step towards her, he added, "I just don't think I should cause fifty percent of the problems and get one hundred percent of the blame."

"Well, now you can go find your paragon of virtue. Now that you're free of me," she added with a toss of her head.

"I never wanted a paragon of virtue, Case," he corrected, stepping closer. "You're getting me confused with yourself. I just wanted love, happiness…fun."

"You found _fun_ in spades," she spat.

"I drank liquor in spades. Not fun," he said, taking another step into her personal space.

"You could have fooled me," Casey replied, stepping back and bumping into a deck chair. Gripping it with both hands in a white knuckle grip, Casey tried to keep herself steady and her eyes on Derek's.

"You've fooled yourself."

Giving a short bark of insincere laughter, Casey asked, "Where is all this deep thinking coming from? You've never been a deep thinker."

"After the divorce, and subsequent loss of income, I had a lot of time to think," Derek explained. "And not enough money to drink."

"So, you came up with these theories?"

"No. I joined AA. Then I came up with these theories," he added with a grin.

"What do you want from me, Derek?"

"I want to you to be happy, Case. **Are** you happy?"

"Of course I am," she laughed. "Fitz is a wonderful man."

"A paragon of virtue?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Damn right," she retorted. "Only he sees nothing wrong with virtue."

"I only despise hypocrisy."

"In me?" Casey demanded.

"In everyone. But especially you," Derek softly added. "You're too good for that, Case. You're too good Fitzwilliam Kittredge and his fast track to nobility."

"You're wrong! I'm not too good for Fitz. He's too good for me! He a wonderful man. Smart, charming, attractive…"

"And absolutely boring," Derek interrupted.

"Just because…" Casey started to rip into him.

"No! He's just like Max. You think he's everything you want. You think he'll lead you to some perfect life where you're the Rowena to his Ivanhoe, but you're not. Or he's not. Either way, you'll just be unhappy."

"I'm not going to listen to this…this rubbish," Casey shouted, pushing Derek out of her way. "How dare you come back into my life and start…start…"

"Start shining the truth in your eyes. Start making you pull your head out of the sand. Is that what you looking for?" he asked, storming towards her. Grabbing her by the arms, Derek gave Casey a little shake and shouted, "Is that it?

"You bastard!" she hissed, pulling away. "Get off my property and Go To HELL!"

"Casey, are you alright?" Fitz voice broke into the tense silence, pulling the feuding couple's attention away from each other.

"She's fine," Derek abruptly answered. "And I was leaving. Congratulations on the wedding. I hope you two will be _continually_ happy." With that sarcastic reply, he was gone.

"What was that all about?" Fitz asked, turning his attention to Casey.

"Nothing. Nothing worth mentioning at any rate."

"Hum," Fitz muttered, not believing her for one instant. Glancing down, he saw the wrapped box Derek had shown Nora earlier, sitting next to a deck chair. Picking it up, he wondered, "What could this be?"

"Derek's idea of a wedding present," Casey answered, not really paying attention.

"Look at this," Fitz said, interrupting Casey's musings. Handing her a book with a worn, leather cover, he added, "If this is his idea of a wedding gift, I'm not surprised you divorce him."

"What?" she replied, opening the book. Casey felt herself gasping as she finally looked down at the first page.

"What's wrong?" Fitz worriedly demanded.

"Nothing…it's just…"

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I'm just surprised, that's all," Casey reassured him with a watery smile. "Derek isn't known for being thoughtful…"

"It's just a bunch of black and white photos."

Looking up, Casey shook her head. "No, you don't understand. Derek and I were headed off for our honeymoon when Marti got sick—hospitalized sick. She recovered, but somehow, we never made our trip. We were supposed to go on a tour of Europe. These are pictures of all the places I wanted to see."

"If you want, we could change our plans…" Fitz began.

"No," Casey quickly interrupted. "No. I don't want to take another husband's trip with you."

"But, if it's important to you…"

"You're important to me." After a brief silence, she asked, "Fitz, do you mind Derek?"

"I mind that he upset you."

"No, I mean the thought of him—the fact that he was my…better half."

Laughing, Fitz set the book aside and took Casey's hands in his. "Sweetheart, no one could ever be _your_ better half. You will always far outrank whomever you are with."

"Fitz…" she tried to protest.

"No," he insisted. "You're wonderful! The perfect woman. Flawless."

"I'm not flawless," Casey informed him. "I'm full of flaws. I really am. Ask anyone."

"None that matter," Fitz argued with a gentle smile. "You're like…you're like this ethereal goddess who has condescended to Earth and graced me with your presence."

"Fitz," Casey protested, greatly uncomfortable. "I'm not a goddess."

"Then a queen. And I am your humble knight."

Flustered, Casey pulled away, saying, "We should get ready. The party starts soon."

Picking up her hand, Fitz laid a gentle kiss upon its back.

"Till then, my queen."

Giving him a strained smile, Casey hurried away. In her rush, she almost mowed a wandering Edwin down.

Steadying her, Edwin mocked, "Ah, Queen Casey. Conferring your presence upon the peasants, are you?"

"Don't you mean goddess?" Casey scoffed.

"Only if your ego insists upon it," Edwin dryly replied.

Looking as if she'd be hit in the solar plexus, Casey asked, "Why are _you_ upset with me?"

Edwin's eyebrows almost shot off his head with the speed with which he raised them. "You've got to be kidding me. You're so ashamed to be or to have been a part of my family that you force my _fiancée_ to pretend to be marrying another and you ask me why I'm upset!"

"Edwin…"

"No!" he shouted. "I'm tired of it. I've watched you destroy this family with your selfishness, but not anymore. I'm dancing with Lizzie tonight. In fact, I'll be monopolizing her. I don't care if it will make you _or _Fitz look bad. Suck it up and deal with it. I'm not Derek. I don't give a damn about you."

Leaving a wide-eyed Casey all alone, Edwin stalked off to find his fiancée and to convince her to acknowledge their union once more.

Alone once again, Casey ran a hand through her hair and muttered, "I _need_ a drink."


	6. One Drunk to Another

**But the greatest love–the love above all loves, Even greater than that of a mother… Is the tender, passionate, undying love, Of one beer drunken slob for another. –Irish Love Ballad**

* * *

"Casey," Fitz said with an anxious smile. "Is anything wrong?"

Giggling, Casey replied, "Absolutely nothing is wrong, Fitz! Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!"

"Casey, sweetheart, I've never seen you…drink before."

"I was against liquor because of how disgusting it made Derek, **but**, I can see why he liked it. It leaves you with a very _nice_ feeling," she added, giggling inanely.

Looking just _slightly_ horror-struck, Fitz replied, "A lady of your stature shouldn't give up control so easily, Casey."

Returning his look with an exaggerated frown, Casey said, "I think…just maybe…I need to give up control more often. Marti once told me I had a stick rammed up my butt so high…"

"I get the picture," he interrupted, attempting to shush his fiancée, who just kept getting increasingly louder.

"I need another drink," Casey announced, before trying to wander off in search of a circulating waiter. Trying being the operative word, as Fitz pulled her back against him in an effort to halt her progress.

Flopping against his chest as she stumbled over her heels, Casey looked up at Fitz with her best, drunken version of a seductive grin. "Why Fritz," she purred, rubbing her hands up and down his chest. "I didn't know you were such an animal!"

Grabbing onto her hands to halt their progress, Fitz gave a passing (and curious) colleague a nod and a tight smile. Once they were relatively alone once again, Fitz's sparking eyes looked down into Casey's slightly unfocused blue, and he hissed, "Casey McDonald! Pull yourself together!"

Sighing heavily, Casey informed him, "It's Casey McDonald _Venturi_. I never got around to changing my last name."

"So I've noticed," Fitz mumbled under his breath, giving Casey the first sarcastic response of their relationship.

Ignoring that milestone, Casey continued, "I knew that once I changed my name, Derek and I were over. Kaput!" After giggling over the fun word, and saying it again louder, she persisted in telling her uninterested fiancé her tale. "I was really, really, _really_, mad at Derek but…well, I am a romantic and he was my Ivanhoe. My rusty, imperfect Ivanhoe, but my Ivanhoe all the same."

"Casey," Fitz snapped, finally losing his rather thin hold upon his patience. "What are you going on about?"

"I'm telling you how Derek was my Ivanhoe," she repeated, her big eyes blinking. "Did you know that he would rub my feet while we watched hockey in exchange for me being quiet? He always said it was just to keep me quiet, but I think it was because he loved me. Well, too. Derek never did like having me talk at him during a game."

Sighing angrily, Fitz stepped back and pushed Casey against a nearby column. "Stay here," he commanded. "I'm going to get our coats. I'll be right back."

"Tootles," she replied, giggling softly.

Making sure she was steady, Fitz then stormed off towards the coat room in hopes that the few minutes apart would calm his temper.

* * *

"I think…No," Noel corrected himself. "I _know_, this is the single most boring party I've ever gone to."

Raising a brow, Sally took a flute of champagne off a passing waiter's tray and took a sip of the bubbly booze.

"Really? This party beats out the dinner we arrived at last night?"

Laughing, Noel flashed her his special grin just for her. Sally felt her heart skip a beat, but covered it by taking another sip of her drink.

Shaking his head, Noel replied, "You have me. Yesterday's _dinner party_ was a soul sucking event, this is just so boring I could cry."

"You _are_an overdramatic bastard, aren't you?" she asked with a laugh.

Noel didn't say anything, he just grinned in reply.

About then, another server walked past with a drink laden tray. With a smile, Noel grabbed a drink and then tossed it back.

"This party does have one thing going for it."

"Oh?" Sally asked, no longer smiling as she watched him trade his empty glass for a full one.

"Lots of free booze. I _am_ going to make the most of this."

Frowning, Sally replied, "Being drunk is going to make it hard to report on this party."

"Please," Noel protested. "Like I need to be aware to know that someone is going to get drunk and feel someone else up. A typical high society party. I could write an article about that in my sleep. Hell, I know I have."

"Cheers," she agreed with a bitter smile, before taking a large swallow of her drink.

* * *

"Casey," Nora questioned as she walked past her drunken daughter.

Startled, Casey almost fell off her expensive heels. Grabbing onto the pillar she was leaning against, she was able to keep standing almost completely upright.

"Mom," she asked, blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Casey…are you…drunk?" Nora asked in complete disbelief.

"Probably," Casey solemnly answered. Stumbling forward, she tried her best to whisper, "It's the only way to _really_ enjoy these parties."

"Casey McDonald," Nora reprimanded her daughter. "What has gotten into you?"

"Champagne, a Caesar, a Raymond Massey, the Monkey Gland (I picked that one 'cause it made me think of Derek—he would have given me a drink named that), a Rye & Ginger, a Kamikaze…"

"Casey!" Nora interrupted, appalled.

"I haven't finished my list," Casey protested.

"I don't need to know anymore."

"Okay," Casey said with a heavy sigh. "But, I did drink something that was on fire. I got to drink it out of a metal straw!"

Shaking her head, Nora pondered just leaving her daughter where she was when her motherly instinct took over. "Come on, Casey. Let's get you home."

"Can't," Casey protested. Screwing her face up in thought, she said, "I'm supposed to be waiting for somebody."

"It's me," Noel drunkenly announced, presenting himself to the two women.

Casey shook her head, her face still scrunched up in overdramatic thought.

"I don't _think_ it was you."

"What would you know," Noel dismissed. "You're drunk."

"That's true!" Casey agreed.

"Come on," Noel encouraged, taking Casey's arm. "Let's dance our way to the bar and get some Mojitos!"

Nora watched the two dance their way off in stunned disbelief. The last thing she heard was Casey's raised voice say, "I want a Donald Sutherland."

Wondering where she had gone wrong, Nora squeezed her eyes tightly shut and tried to block out all the noise around her. There's no telling how long she would have stood there, ignoring everything, if she hadn't heard Fitz voice as he walked up.

"Casey, dear…Nora, where's Casey?"

"I have no idea," she replied, slowly opening her eyes.

"I left her right here," he complained.

"You left her here completely drunk!"

"Did you want me to parade her around the room?" he angrily asked.

"No," Nora reluctantly replied.

Frowning, Fitz looked around the crowded hall, and murmured, "What has gotten into her?"

"Liquor," Nora dryly replied.

"Besides that," he angrily snapped.

Unwilling to go into just what or who she thought was wrong with her daughter, Nora shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Humph," Fitz snorted. "I give up. I have people I need to greet and I can't spend all night chasing after a neurotic Casey Venturi."

"She wouldn't be Casey if she wasn't just a bit neurotic," Nora argued.

Fitz just stared at Nora, his face blank of emotion, before shaking his head and wandering off.

Angry, Nora set her jaw and set off to find George. As her husband, she decided, it was his _duty_ to help her stop this drunken train from flying off the rails.

* * *

"How do you like my engagement party?" Casey asked between sips of her Seven & Seven.

"It's awful. Why did you invite so many stuff shirt windbags?"

"I didn't. Whoever is hosting this shindig did."

"You don't know who's hosting the party," Noel asked, intrigued.

"It's someone from Fitz's side of the wedding party," Casey informed him with a wave of her hand. "Derek wouldn't like this kind of party either. He's not too fond of hypocrites," she sadly said before finishing off her drink with one long swallow.

"Why do you always mention him?" Noel crankily snapped.

"Mention who?" Casey asked impatiently. She was trying to get the bartender's attention so she could get a refill of her Seven & Seven.

"Derek Venturi. Your **ex**-husband."

"I mentioned him?" she asked, blinking her eyes in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty positive."

"Hum," Casey muttered. "Maybe it's because he yelled at me today. He's been on my mind."

"Sorry, for leaving," Noel said sheepishly. "It seemed pretty personal. I didn't want to intrude."

"You didn't miss much," Casey blithely informed him.

"No?"

"Nope," she replied, popping the p. "Derek was just telling me why we got divorced."

"Didn't you know?" he asked curiously.

"Evidently not."

"Hum. You know," Noel added after a pause. "Derek's a bit of a jerk. You shouldn't listen to the mean things he says."

"I only listen if he's right," Casey assured him.

"Was he right?"

"He might have been."

"Oh."

"I know. I was surprised too. I never thought Derek could be right."

"Jocks usually aren't." Noel assured her.

"I think that was the problem. I thought of Derek only being a jerky jock. He was also my jerky jock **husband**."

"I guess that _could_ change things," Noel conceded. "But, he could have been politer about it."

"Derek's never polite," Casey informed him. "Except when he's being nice."

Noel gave that all the thought his drink addled mind could give thought before his finished off his drink with a nod. Standing up, he announced to Casey, "I'm going to give Derek a piece of my mind."

"Okay," she said, now distracted by her _finally_ refilled drink. "Take a taxi. You might be drunk."

"Good idea," he decided.

Minutes later, Casey looked around and asked the air at hand, "Where did Noel go?"

* * *

Derek was under the considered opinion that whoever had just woken him up at one o'clock in the morning with all that racket was a dead man walking.

"Noel," Derek exclaimed in surprise upon opening his front door.

"Venturi," Noel tittered as he pushed his way into the small bungalow Derek had rented.

"What are you doing here?" Derek asked as he shut the door.

"I'm here to tell you off," Noel announced from where he was draped over the couch. Seeing the bottle of Forty Creek Whisky that he had just set on Derek's coffee table, Noel leaned forward and picked it up. Raising it to Derek, he asked, "Do you mind if I have some of your whisky?"

Swallowing his laugh, Derek nodded. "Let me get you a glass."

Taking the cheap plastic cup that Derek handed him, Noel informed his host, "You're nicer than I thought you were."

"Am I?"

"Yes," Noel absently answered as most of his attention was on pouring the whisky into his cup.

Once his guest was comfortably sipping his own liquor, Derek asked, "Why did you stop by again?"

"Hum? Oh! I wanted to tell you off."

"For?" Derek prompted when Noel trailed off.

"You were very rude to Casey today. I think you hurt her feelings."

"I'm surprised Queen Casey has feelings."

"She has lots of feelings," Noel hotly assured him.

"Ah," Derek noncommittally murmured.

"She does," Noel assured him. "In fact, she's wonderful. She's like a…a…"

"Goddess," Derek suggested.

Noel gave Derek a very intense stare as he scowled at the other man.

"You came up with that rather quickly. I bet you called her that."

"So…she's _not_ a goddess?"

"No," Noel decided. "No. Casey has _regal_ bearing. She's a queen!"

"I did call her princess in high school," Derek admitted with a grin.

"You're not very nice to her."

"Well, she's not very nice to me. It evens out in the end."

"You should have thanked your lucky stars that Casey wanted anything to do with you," Noel informed Derek. "If you…"

"Worshiped her like I should," Derek helpfully inserted.

"No! No! No!" Noel protested before going into a long monologue about the wonders of Casey McDonald.

Derek was prepared to make some rather lovely cracks and get Noel all riled up, but he heard a round of pounding on his front door and went to see who it was instead.

Standing in a floor length, red dress, blonde hair pulled back tightly, and a tired look in her eyes was Sally.

"I'm here to pick up my wandering, pie-eyed partner."

Grinning, Derek pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Follow the sound of incessant blathering."

Picking up her skirt as she stepped over the threshold, Sally sarcastically said, "Thanks. You're a pal."

"Anytime," Derek muttered, his attention caught by the sight of a familiar face sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat of Sally's convertible. "Sally," he called over his shoulder. "Are you a taxi service for the sozzled?"

"Her fiancée washed his hands of her and her mother was ready to throttle her." Grinning, Sally added, "Nora already had enough of a mess on her hands with Kittredge's side of the family upset with Lizzie stepping out on Sam with her step-brother."

Laughing, Derek replied, "Heard about that. Kendra threatened to come out here and make it up to Edwin herself."

"Wish I could have seen that." Cocking her head to the side, Sally realized that Noel had stopped nattering on to himself. "Sounds like my canary passed out. I better go wake him."

"I'll keep an eye on your other passenger."

"Right," Sally drawled as she headed towards the living room.

Ignoring the brooding blonde, Derek carefully slipped into the car. Leaning his head against the back of the bench seat, Derek steadily kept his eyes on his ex-wife/step-sister.

Feeling eyes upon her, Casey blinked her own eyes open. Yawning widely she watched as Derek continue to stare at her.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Hey," he softly replied.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know."

"Hum?" she asked, pulling herself up right.

"Derek," Sally screeched as she stumbled out the front door.

"Yes?" he asked, turning towards her.

"Noel's gone!"

"What?"

"I've looked everywhere! I can't find him anywhere!"

"Calm down," Derek soothed stepping out of the car. "My place isn't that big. We'll find him easily. Maybe he passed out under a bed."

"Under a bed!" Sally yelled, following Derek back into the bungalow.

Casey was trying to decide if she should follow them when Noel came stumbling out of the foliage at the side of the bungalow, a bottle of whiskey kept tightly grasped within his right hand.

"Noel!" Casey called.

"Casey!" he yelled back. Staggering into to the car's driver seat, he said, "Let's take a trip."

"No, take me to my house," Casey demanded. "I want to go swimming."

Handing Casey the whisky so he could put the car into drive, Noel confided, "I stole that from Derek."

Lifting the bottle, Casey looked at it with a frown. "Derek isn't supposed to be drinking whisky anymore."

"He didn't have any," Noel assured her as they pulled away. "He just served me."

"Oh," Casey said, her worries abated. "That's alright then."

As Casey was saying that, Derek and Sally came running out of his place just in time to see Noel pull out onto the main road.

Turning to Sally with a scowl upon his face, Derek said, "You left the keys in the car!"

"I only thought I'd be a minute," Sally argued.

Sighing, Derek ran a hand through his hair. "Let me change into some real clothing and I'll take you home."

Grinning, Sally said, "I don't know, I kind of like the pajamas."

"With the way my luck's run of late, if I drive you home in my robe and slippers, my car will breakdown on a major road and I'll be arrested."

"For what?" she called after his retreating back.

"Who knows!" he called back.

* * *

"This is nice," Casey mumbled into Noel's collarbone.

Sighing happily, Noel pulled Casey closer to him as they continued to sway/dance to the radio.

"I like dancing. Derek and I used to dance all the time."

Pulling back with a frown, Noel asked, "Why do you _always_ have to bring him up?"

"Bring who up?" Casey asked, clearly confused.

"Derek Venturi."

"I talk about him a lot?"

"Yes," Noel assured her. "All the time."

"That's odd. No one's ever mentioned it before."

"I don't think you should talk about him. He doesn't treat you right."

"I don't see him that often for him to treat me anyway at all."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm sure you can figure it out," Casey encouraged him. "You're brilliant."

"Thank you," he said with a pleased grin.

The moment between the two, however, was ruined by the sound of The Gadfly Suite, Op. 97a: VIII. Romance by Dmitry Shostakovich ringing through the air.

"What is that?" Noel asked, looking around in a dazed sort of way.

"That's Fitz's ringtone," Casey answered, flipping off the radio so she could hear the music better.

Realizing what it was, Noel started to laugh.

"What?" Casey belligerently demanded.

"You _do_ know the definition of gadfly, don't you?"

"Fitz is _NOT_ critical," she argued. "Nor is he continuously annoying."

"The phone hasn't stopped yet," Noel pointed out.

Storming over to the table where their things sat, Casey started to open her purse and pull out her phone, when the music stopped. Turning towards Noel with a triumphant look upon her face, Casey crowed, "See, he's already hung up. He's not the least bit annoying."

"Perhaps you don't find him annoying, but I'm sure I can make up a list of people who do – starting with your beloved family."

Huffing in annoyance, Casey whined, "I thought we were going to have fun."

Ignoring her, Noel grasped her upper arms while he earnestly plead with her, "Don't marry Kittredge tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"He isn't good enough for you."

"Of course he isn't," Casey agreed. "He's too good for me. **He** deserves a better woman."

"No, Casey," Noel argued. "Kittredge couldn't find a better woman than you."

"Oh, couldn't he?"

"No! You're the best there is. You're like light and sound and color…you're music."

"I'm a cacophony of sound," Casey whispered, looking at their feet.

Pushing her chin up, so he could meet her eyes, Noel softly countered, "No. No, Casey. You're anything but that. You're so amazing. You make me wish I was a better man. You make me want to try hard and do better, but at the same time, I don't want to do anything but bask in your incredible light. I long to worship you, body and soul."

"So what am I," she choked out, blinking back tears. "Some kind of…of idle goddess."

"No, you're human," Noel cried. "And that's what makes you so damn amazing. You're everything a man could want but warm, alive, and breathing. You're it, Casey. You're the pinnacle of perfection."

"Oh, Noel," she cried, throwing her arms around him. "You do say the most wonderful things."

"I don't just say them," he assured her, pressing his lips to hers.

Breaking apart for air, Casey sighed, "Oh Noel! I haven't felt…I feel…what do I feel?"

"Love?" Noel suggested, raining kissing down her neck.

"No, no, no," Casey answered, shaking her head. "It's not _that_. I know what _that_ feels like. I know that better than any feeling in the world."

"Why can't it be love?" Noel asked, looking into her eyes. "Don't you feel the sparks between us?"

"Sparks aren't love," Casey assured him. "But they are pretty damn nice," she added, pulling him into another kiss.

Finally pulling back, Casey said, "We never did go swimming and we came here for that."

"I didn't bring any trunks with me," Noel argued.

Laughing, Casey grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the pool. "We'll swim in our underwear, Noel."

"I am wearing a clear pair," he decided, running to keep up with her.

* * *

As Derek turned off his car, Sally tilted her head to get a better look at him. Feeling her eyes upon, Derek turned to look at her and asked, "What?"

"You still love her." Not a question, just a statement of fact.

"Get out of the car," Derek said, getting out of the car himself.

Following him up the path to the front door, Sally said, "I don't understand why you deny it."

"And _I_ don't understand why you don't start something with Noel. It's clear to everyone that you have feelings for him."

"Everyone but him," she bitterly muttered under her breath.

Opening the unlocked front door for her, Derek asked, "What are you going to do when a real challenge for his affections shows up?"

"I don't know. As long as she's getting married at noon tomorrow…today, I won't worry about it," Sally answered with a smirk.

"Casey won't marry Fitz," Derek assured her.

"How do you know?" she challenged him.

"I know my Casey."

"**Your** Casey."

"I never denied that I still love her," he answered with a grin. "To you, I mean. I have denied it loudly to anyone else who asks."

"Why?"

Derek was silent for a moment before he said, "Yesterday, Casey and I got into an argument. I had this really great zinger I was going to use, but I forgot all about it in the mist of our fight."

"What was it?" Sally asked, curious as to where he was going with this.

"Casey and Fitz are supposed to be getting married at the Chapel of Hope, located on the campus of Regional Mental Health Care in London. I was going to say something along the lines of it figures you would get married among your people."

Lightly laughing, Sally patted Derek on the shoulder and said, "Keep working on that one, buster. You're lucky that you forgot about it."

"Still," Derek argued, "the point is that Casey _is_ crazy. Always has been. Always will be."

"But she's your kind of crazy? That's completely sappy," she said with a mock disappointed shake of her head.

"That," he laughed, "and I'm obviously crazy because now I'm sober and I can see everything so much more clearly and yet I still love her."

"Whoever said love was logical?" Sally asked, stopping by the staircase. "This is my stop. I'm going to head to bed."

Grasping her wrist, Derek implored, "Tell him, Sally. Tell Noel you love him and then tell him every damn day after that. Case and I wouldn't have had so many problems if I had done that."

"I'm not like you, Derek. I've never been that good at a scheme…or that brave."

"That's not the Sally Gilchrist I know."

Gently pulling out of his grasp, Sally shook her head. "You haven't known me in a long time, Derek. You don't have any idea who I am anymore."

Watching her walk up the stairs, Derek started to wonder if he could possibly be wrong. Shaking that thought away, he walked further into the house, enjoying the quiet solitude of the old place.

Passing a pair of open French doors, Derek stopped and backed up. Walking out onto the large porch, he looked over the scene of tossed aside shoes and a coat and wrap, an almost completely empty bottle of whisky, a radio, and a pile of jewelry sitting on the patio table and wondered if he and Sally really were too late. He didn't have time to contemplate such things, however, as Fitzwilliam Kittredge's voice snapped him out of his melancholy musings.

"Venturi, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Derek boldly countered. "I'm family. I have every right to be here."

Scowling, Fitz replied, "I called Casey, but she didn't answer. She had been drinking a lot of liquor tonight and I got worried."

"That's surprising as I heard that you'd washed your hands of the whole affair."

Deepening his frown, Fitz said, "A man can get fed up with bad behavior, Venturi. Just like I am right now."

Raising his eyebrows, Derek asked, "What bad behavior?"

"Besides your unnecessary proprietary rudeness, this sordid tableau is enough to make any right thinking man upset."

Swiftly pocketing Casey's rather large engagement ring before Fitz could see it, which was sitting on the table before him, Derek said, "I really don't see what you're so upset about. They probably just went swimming. Case and I used to do that after returning from all the parties we attended."

"You wouldn't see," Fitz snorted in righteous indignation.

"I suppose not," Derek conceded. "I did have the terribly bad taste to marry my step-sister."

"You are…"

Derek never did get to find out what Kittredge thought he was as Fitz abruptly stop speaking at the sound Noel Covington's drunken, off-key singing.

"For some reason, I thought he was in a band in high school," Derek reminisced. "He mustn't have been lead singer."

Seeing Fitz's scowl deepen, a grin spread across Derek's face. "I told you they went swimming. You really shouldn't have worried."

Spotting both men, who happened to be blocking his way, Noel glanced down the wet and towel clad, sleeping Casey in his arms before feeling brave enough to confront the two men.

"She was all excited to start swimming, but she was out as soon as she touched the water. I fished her out of the pool and now I'm going to put her to bed," Noel informed his audience.

"I don't think so," Derek said, easily transferring Casey into his arms. At the same time, Fitz demanded, "Where are your pants?"

Confused at having two conversations at once, it took Noel a minute before he said, "I took them off to go swimming. I'm still wearing my boxers so it's alright."

"It's alright?" Fitz shouted taking a step closer to Noel.

Interrupting, Derek said, "While you two duke it out, I'm going to put Case to bed."

"Wait!" Fitz cried. "What gives you the right…"

"Till she says 'I do,'" Derek barked. "The right's still mine. Besides, I actually know where her bedroom is."

Seeing the sense in that last argument, but not liking it, Fitz seethed as he watched Derek carry the scantily clad Casey into the house. Turning back to Noel, he slammed his right fist into Noel's left eye, knocking the other man clean off his feet.

Breathing heavily, Fitz threatened, "Come near her again and a punch in the face will be the least of your worries."

Sitting up, Noel cupped his sore face and watched Fitz as he stormed off in barely contained fury.

* * *

Tucking Casey into bed, Derek placed a rather platonic kiss upon her cheek.

"Rest up, Case," he whispered with a grin. "'Cause you are going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow morning."

Casey didn't respond in anyway, except for to snuggle down into her covers.


	7. A New Ending

A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for being so patient with me. My computer died and I had to get a new one. That's what took this update so long to come.

* * *

"**Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, **

**but anyone can start today and make a new ending." –Maria Robinson**

* * *

Casey knew she was awake, even though her eyes weren't open. No one could feel this bad and not be alive, she decided. Trying to decide if it was really worth the effort to get up or if she would rather just die in bed, her decision was taken from her by someone slamming a glass down on her bedside table.

In actuality, Lizzie had lightly and carefully set the glass down to make as little noise as possible but with Casey's headache she would have claimed Lizzie had been banging a spoon on a metal pan.

Hearing her sister making a noise that sounded vaguely like a cross between a groan and an ugg, Lizzie bit her lip so as to not smile. Leaning down, she placed her lips near her sister's exposed ear and whispered, "Derek sent me. He said you might need some aspirin."

"Don't," Casey started to say in her regular voice volume before wincing at the noise. Swallowing, she tried again at a much softer whisper. "Don't yell."

"You have one major headache," Lizzie whispered back.

"I'm fairly certain I'm dying," Casey informed her sister.

"So…I suppose you want me to call off the wedding?"

"Whose…oh, hell no." Then in what may be considered a potent of her day to come, Casey mumbled, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Lizzie jumped back as Casey only had time to sit up before throwing up all over the bedspread.

"Oh! That is _so_ gross!"

Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, Casey sobbed, "This is the worst best-day-of-my-life ever!"

* * *

"Venturi," Fitz snapped as he stepped out onto the patio to find Derek lounging in a chair, reading the sports section of the paper, and nursing his coffee after finishing a large breakfast. "What are you doing here?"

Dropping the paper down so as to be able to see the angry man's face, Derek matter-of-factly replied, "I'm the bride's step-brother. I was invited."

"I'm sure Casey didn't invite you," Fitz argued, coming to a stop next to Derek's seat.

Bring the paper back up, Derek said, "Nora did." Dropping the paper once again, he smirked, "Sorry. I meant _Mom_."

Watching Derek smugly raise the paper back up to cover his face, Fitz felt himself literally shake with anger. He had never felt this angry before in his life and he was completely unsure of what to do with these feelings of uncontrollable rage. Luckily a distraction to his thoughts came in the form of a _very_hung-over Noel Covington.

Noel stumbled out onto the patio, sunglasses covering his eyes—eyes which, Noel was sure, were trying their very best to melt their way out of his skull. Grabbing onto a nearby seat, he gratefully dropped himself into the comfortable padding.

"Coffee?" Derek offered, leaning forward to reach the pot seated in the center of the table.

"Please," Noel groaned, setting his aching head against the cool surface of the glass topped table.

Smirking, Derek pushed a full mug of black coffee towards the poor suffering reporter.

"Has Sally seen you yet?"

"She wouldn't even give me some aspirin," Noel complained, carefully sipping his coffee. "She said it was all my fault for drinking to excess."

"How _dare_ you just sit there and act like…like nothing has happened?" Fitz seethed, fists clenched at his sides.

Noel looked up at the other man, eyes squinted in thought behind his dark glasses, unable to come up with a coherent response to that question. Derek, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows with a look of complete derision upon his face and asked, "Which one of us are you talking too?"

"Both of you!" Fitz snapped. "Either of you."

"Well, now that we've cleared that up…"

Taking what he hoped was a calming breath through his nose before slowly breathing out his mouth, Fitz then said, "I just think it's rather appalling that the two of you are here, interrupting Casey and my wedding day." Stopping Derek as he opened his mouth, Fitz snapped, "And don't try telling me you're Casey's step-brother. We both know you've _never_ been her brother, step or otherwise."

Nodding, Derek settled back into his seat keeping his mouth firmly shut.

A tense silence settled over the patio as none of the three men could think of something to say that wouldn't start another argument.

Just when Noel was thinking of taking his coffee and sneaking off, Nora burst onto the patio in a panicked frenzy. Looking over all three men she decided to save the questions that burst into her head seeing them all together and instead blurted out what she originally wanted to know.

"Have any of you seen Casey?"

Smirking, Derek informed her, "It's bad luck for Space Case and the groom over here to see each other before the wedding."

"Derek!" Nora reprimanded.

The smirk didn't leave his face, but he did tell her what he knew.

"If Case is anything like Covington over here, she's in her room wishing she would die."

Sighing heavily, Nora moaned, "I knew I should have watched her better last night."

"Yes, because an almost thirty-year-old woman needs to be looked after by her mother."

"Something was wrong last night. She was very upset," Nora protested. Giving all three men a dirty look, she said, "Someone should have been looking out for her."

Noel just groaned and reset his head upon the table. Fitz deflated and shifted uncomfortably, looking at his shoes. Derek, the one who might conceivably have the most to be reprimanded about, just stared at Nora unblinkingly. Shaking her head in disgust, Nora turned on her heel and stomped back into the house to try and find her oldest daughter.

Once Nora was gone, Derek lifted one leg and pushed an empty chair away from the table. Looking at Fitz he offered, "You might as well sit down and have some coffee. I think your wedding is going to start a little late."

For a moment, it looked as if Fitz was going to say something rather derogatory, but then he deflated once again and nodded his head in agreement. Settling down into his chair, he asked Derek, "Pass me the business section, would you?"

As the other two men read the paper, Noel once again groaned in agony.

* * *

Jennifer, the wedding planner from hell (Casey's new nickname for the woman), fluttered around Casey, helping to adjust her dress and barking continuous orders into her headset.

"I can't believe you got so drunk, Mrs. Venturi," Jennifer reprimanded, seeing Casey flinch at the noise once again. "I thought you were smarter than that."

"So did I," Casey moaned in agreement. "Do I have to put the veil on now?"

"Because of you, we are running fifteen minutes late. The congregation is getting antsy," Jennifer informed the bride with a scowl. "The answer is _yes_."

"Okay," Casey meekly replied, getting situated in front of the mirror.

As Jennifer brought over the long, cathedral length, ribbon edged, two layered veil with scattered rhinestones to match the sequins and crystal beading covering the bodice, skirt, and semi-cathedral length train of Casey's wedding gown, Lizzie popped her head into the room as she softly knocked on the door to the bride's boudoir.

"Knock, knock," she said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "Casey, you look stunning."

"Thanks, Liz," Casey replied with a strained grin. Watching her sister's reflection in the mirror, she added, "I didn't do a half bad job picking your dress, did I?"

Lizzie softly laughed as she glanced down at her shoes. "Well, Derek did say I looked lovely. Quite grown up, in fact." Tucking a stray hair behind one ear, she continued, "Of course he did say Marti and Mom looked beautiful too, so who's to say what he really thinks."

Ignoring all mentioning of Derek's thoughts, Casey asked, "What did Edwin think?"

"I haven't seen him yet. He's too busy playing usher. Sam and Kendra say hi, though. They're sitting together on the bride's side."

Letting out a sound that was midway between a laugh and a groan, Casey replied, "I didn't really think Kendra would stay away. In fact, I'm surprised Sam hasn't tried speaking to me about the trusts some more."

"Well, he did try last night, but you were too busy asking the bartender which cocktail you _hadn't _tried yet and he kind of gave up," Lizzie explained.

"I completely embarrassed myself last night, didn't I?"

"Well," Lizzie temporized. "There was no nudity or fights with the guests, but you did pass out on the bar in a puddle of your own drool before Sally offered to drive you home."

"That's not so bad," Jennifer perkily vouchsafed. "I've seen worse. _Trust me_, I've seen **way** worse, drunken behavior."

"There you go, Casey," Lizzie said with a grin. "You didn't _completely _embarrass yourself last night. It could have been worse."

Giving her sister a glare through the mirror, Casey growled, "Did you come in here for a particular reason or just to chat?"

"Oh!" Lizzie exclaimed, raising the envelope she held in her hand. "Derek asked me to give you this."

Taking the envelope, but not bothering to open it, Casey asked, "Do you know what it is?"

"Sorry, he didn't say."

"If you were Marti, you would have looked," Casey teased.

Grinning mischievously, Lizzie countered, "If I were Marti, I would have also brought in a red drink and _accidentally_ spilled it all over your white, extremely expensive, dress in an attempt to halt the wedding."

"True," Casey murmured regarding her bedecked self in the floor length mirror. Rubbing a hand down her torso, she said, "The three month search for this re-embroidered lace was _soo_ worth it. My dress is gorgeous."

"It's the wedding you always dreamed of," Lizzie acknowledged with a sad smile.

Turning carefully, so as to not damage or wrinkle anything, Casey said, "You and Edwin will get your dream wedding. Dad didn't pay for either of mine so he has lots of wedding money to waste on yours."

Shaking her head, Lizzie said, "That's not what I was thinking of. Edwin and I have our whole wedding planned out. We don't want anything as big as this."

"What were you thinking…" Casey started to ask when she was interrupted by a loud, forceful knock upon the door.

"Who is it?" Jennifer called in a sing-song voice.

"It's Fitzwilliam. I need to speak with Casey," the groom's deep voice boomed, barely muffled by the door.

"Go back to your waiting room," Jennifer commanded. "You do NOT see the bride until she is walking down the aisle. It's bad luck if you do."

"I'll be quick," Fitz promised.

"Fitz?" Lizzie asked, cutting off the eager wedding planner. "Why do you need to speak with Casey? Is it anything Jennifer or I could help you with?"

"It's personal." After a moment's pause he added, "If I don't see her before the wedding, there won't **be** a wedding."

Sighing in frustration, Jennifer nodded. "Fine! But make it quick. We are already fifteen minutes behind schedule."

Lizzie gave her sister a supportive smile before quickly following Jennifer out the door, leaving the betrothed couple alone together.

"Hi," Casey said with a nervous smile.

"Hello," Fitz cautiously returned.

Running her nervous hand down her dress, as if she were trying to smooth the fabric, Casey asked, "It really is supposed to be bad luck to see me _before_ I come down the aisle."

"Yes…well," Fitz mumbled. "It's important that I talk to you."

"About what?" she prompted after a long strain of silence.

"Last night…last night I tried to call you and you didn't answer so I came by the house."

"Oh?" Casey gulped, worried about what he could have seen.

"Noel was carrying you back to the house from the pool. Derek took you out of his arms and said that until we were pronounced husband and wife, you were still his."

Quickly, and without thought, Casey said, "I'm NOT his. I'm no one's possession."

Looking down at his shinny shoes, Fitz rubbed the back of his neck. Glancing at her through his eyelashes, he countered, "I don't think he meant that. Of all people, men especially, I think Derek Venturi _knows_ you better than anyone else. _He_ would know you're not a possession."

Stepping forward, Casey almost tripped over her train and veil and would have if she hadn't grabbed a nearby chair—dropping her envelope upon it, before reaching Fitz and taking his nervous hands in hers. Pleading, she said, "You said you were fine with the fact that I'd been married before."

"I was…I would be if I thought that was all it was."

Pulling back as if she'd be scalded, Casey whispered, "What?"

Licking his dry lips, Fitz seemed to mentally give himself a pep talk, before saying, "In the last two days, the time you've seemed most alive, the most passionate, was when you were either talking to or about Derek Venturi."

"Fitz…"

"No," he interrupted. "You love him. Of course you do. He brings you alive."

"I'm always alive!" Casey snapped, eyes flashing.

"No," Fitz insisted. "I thought you were—until Derek showed up, then I knew just what was missing from you."

Pulling herself taunt in complete indignation, Casey snarled, "You lied. You never planned to go through with the wedding. You were just trying to get Jennifer to let you in."

"I thought it was best we talk about this in person," he calmly replied, not denying her accusation.

"Talk about what? You just accused me of using you when I was really in love with another man."

"If it makes it better, I don't think you _were_ using me. I believe you thought you were actually over him."

"So, it's off," Casey said, deflating. "The wedding is off."

Grasping one of her hands in his, Fitz whispered, "I didn't plan for this. I _was_ hoping you would change my mind."

Yanking her hand from his, Casey asked, "And just how was I supposed to do that?"

Giving a mirthless laugh, Fitz shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I was hoping you'd say you weren't Venturi's girl, you were mine."

"Fitz! How could you…" she snarled, her ire once again rising. "What would make you think…"

Shaking his head, Fitz stepped back, out of her reach. "There's no way that you would have gotten drunk like you did because of anything I had to say. I know that whole binge was about Derek. Evidently it's always been about Derek. I was just a…a placeholder," he breathed out brokenly.

"Fitz," Casey whispered, upset at seeing Fitz looking so damaged.

"I'll go break the news to our guests," he informed her, ignoring the pleading quality in her voice.

"No," Casey argued with a shake of her head. "I'll do it. It's _my_ wedding, I'll call it off."

Silently nodding, Fitz took another step back and turned around.

With his hand on the door knob, he said, "I'm truly sorry, Casey. I never wanted…"

"I know," she answered with a light sigh. "For what it's worth, so am I."

Once the door shut behind her now ex-fiancé, Casey gave no care to her veil and dress, it didn't matter if it wrinkled now. Pulling her skirts up, Casey stormed over to the chair and sat down only to hear the sound of paper being squashed. Curious, Casey pulled the now crushed envelope out from under her.

Inside, she found a short note and her expensive engagement ring. On the note, in Derek's messy scrawl, was written, "I this found last night. I didn't want you to think you'd lost it. I'm sure you'd equate that to bad luck—keener. Good luck and congratulations. Your ex-husband & step-brother, Derek."

Looking down at the shiny ring in her hand, Casey hiccupped a small sob. "Fitz is right. I didn't even notice this was gone. It's has a diamond the size of the nail on my pinky finger and I didn't even realize it was gone!"

* * *

For all intents and purposes, Derek appeared to be leisurely reading his paper in the middle of the hallway, legs stretched out in front of him, his feet crossed at his ankles, not a care in the world seemed to mare his serene countenance.

"Smerek," Marti groaned, dropping down onto the padded beach her oldest brother was sitting upon.

Not looking away from the apparently highly interesting news, Derek muttered, "Hum?"

"What are you doing? You know Casey will have a fit when she sees you here."

Dipping the paper down enough to see his sister, Derek smirked, "I didn't think you would care about Casey's mood—especially today."

"I don't," Marti quickly assured him. After a small pause she relented, "I _would_ care if I didn't think you were _only_ here to stop the wedding."

Giving his Smarti a look of purest disbelief, Derek asked, "Why would you _ever_ think…"

"Really, Derek, how old do you think I am? Even Dad, the most oblivious of us all, thinks you've only re-contacted the family because you're still in love with Casey."

"Did Dad…did Dad figure that out on his own or did Nora tell him?"

"All by his lonesome," Marti assured her big brother with a knowing grin.

"As far as Casey knows…"

"You still don't care," she finished for him. "Do you think that's wise?"

"Is what wise?"

"To break them apart and then leave. Casey would come back to you if you gave her any indication…"

"Marti," Derek interrupted, "don't go there. Don't."

"Is this one of those you'll understand it when you're older things?" Marti sounded as if she really didn't believe it would make sense no matter how old she was.

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "I'm not sure _I_ understand it myself. All I know is that our relationship caused us both a lot of pain and I can't go there again. I'm not sure I can _ever_ go there again."

"Sooo, why stop her from marrying Fitz?"

"I still love Casey, Marti. I'll _always_ love Casey, no matter what I may say. She'll never be happy with that guy. He'll never be enough for her. She thinks he is, but Case has never had a very good taste in men."

"Except for you."

Grinning, Derek asked, "Wasn't that obvious?"

"Where _is_ the bride?" Wedding Planner Jennifer demanded as she stormed into the siblings' area, ruining their private moment. "We need to get this show on the road!"

"Right here," Casey replied, shuffling into the large hallway sans veil and with a wrinkled train trailing behind her.

"Case," Derek worriedly exclaimed as rushed out of his seat before awkwardly standing near the disheveled bride. "What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Casey gave him a strained smile before explaining, "Fitz and I have decided that getting married…to each other…isn't in our best interests."

"What?" Jennifer screamed. "I have been working with _you _for **months** and you run off the groom at the last minute be…"

Swiftly cutting her off, Derek said, "Enough. Case, are you okay?"

Sighing heavily, she nodded her head before changing it into a shrug. "I don't know. I will be. It wasn't true love so…," she trailed off. More firmly she repeated, "I will be. Now I just have to tell an entire chapel full of people that the wedding's off. _That_ I'm not so sure I can do."

Smirking, Derek turned to the still heavily breathing Jennifer and demanded, "You and one of your people, hand over your headsets."

"Why should I…"

"Now!"

Looking at the stern faced man before her, Jennifer signaled one of her helpers over before handing over their headsets to Derek.

Slipping one on, Derek handed the other to Casey. "Put that on," he instructed. "I'll tell you what to say."

A soft look came into her eyes as she cupped his face with her hand. "You don't have to help me…you shouldn't really."

"You know me, Case," Derek said with a grin. "I hate to follow the rules. Now get out there before we have a mob of angry people."

"Right," she agreed, slipping on the headset with a smile.

Once the bride slipped into the chapel, Marti shook her brother's arm and whispered, "Smerek, do you know what you're doing?"

"No," he said with a self-deprecating grin. "But that's never stopped me before."

Anything further that was to be said, was interrupted by the sound of Casey's voice announcing, "Can I have everyone's attention, please."

"I'm very sorry for getting you all out here so early and in your best clothes," Derek prompted. "Especially as Fitzwilliam and I decided that we are better friends than lovers."

Casey changed the last bit to, "the love we have for each other is more friendly than anything else."

Grinning at her correction, he went on, "To make up for the lack of a Kittredge wedding, we decided to give you a wedding of two people who love each other so much and are so _perfectly_ fit for each other that they can't go another day without being bound together in every way."

Feeling a little misty eyed at the last bit, Casey gave her audience a bright smile as she continued, "So, please don't be upset that our new groom is a Venturi and not a Kittredge."

After everything they'd been through, Casey couldn't believe that Derek was actually asking her to remarry him…and in front of all these people.

"So," Derek's voice prompted in her ear. "Please join me in my great happiness of getting to see my sister Lizzie…"

"My sister…" Casey felt herself stutter to a stop.

"My sister Lizzie," Derek again prompted.

Pulling her lips back into a wide smile, Casey hurriedly continued, "My sister Elizabeth and her fiancé, Edwin Venturi finally tie the knot."

Upon finishing her sentence, Casey gave one last strained smile before gathering up her skirts and hurrying back down the aisle towards the main door and away from all the prying eyes.

On the other side of that door, where the entire McDonald-Venturi family congregated, Lizzie started to hyperventilate. "Der-ek," she quietly shrieked. "Why did you do that? We aren't ready to get married! I don't have a dress and we haven't got a license…"

"Don't worry about that," George interrupted. "Edwin and I got one issued for you yesterday. I know some people," he bragged.

"But, the dress…"

"Not to worry," Jennifer announced. "I have a dress in the van. It's completely not your style, but I think you can pull it off."

"What's it look like?" Nora quickly questioned. She wasn't having her one daughter look like an idiot at her wedding just because her other daughter pulled out as bride at the last minute.

"It's a straight, white dress with a sheer overlay and an empire waist, a scoop neck with silver beading…"

"What aren't you telling us?" Nora demanded.

"It's has…wide, floor length, angle wing sleeves."

Mother and daughter shared a look before Lizzie nodded and started to laugh delightedly. "I'm getting married today."

"Come on," Nora insisted, hustling her daughter off. "Let's get you changed."

Slapping Edwin on the shoulder, Derek said, "Good luck bro."

"You're not staying?" Edwin asked, unable to get the huge smile off his face.

"I have a plane to catch."

Giving his brother a knowing look, Edwin nodded. "I understand. _She_ might have gone through with it."

"I'll give you a call later," Derek promised.

"Much later. I'll be on my honeymoon you know."

"You dog you," Derek teased, before heading down the hall towards the exit.

In all the commotion, no one had noticed Casey slip back in the hall. This gave her the perfect opportunity to chase her errant ex down for one last private conversation.

As Derek started to turn the knob towards the outside door, Casey's voice stopped him cold as she called, "Derek."

Turning, he waited until she was next to him before he spoke. "You better get changed out of that dress. I'm sure Jennifer has something you could wear, stored in that van of hers if you ask."

"I thought…" she started, but fear kept her from finishing.

"I know," Derek said looking away from her sad eyes. "So did I."

"Then why…then why?"

Looking back up into her eyes, he gently caressed her cheek with his hockey callused fingers. "Because I was suddenly afraid that I was just a replacement groom in Casey McDonald's perfect wedding. I can't do that Case. I love you too damn much to do that again."

"You were never a replacement, Derek," she pleaded with him to understand. "Fitz was a replacement for you. No one has ever fit me like you do."

Dropping his hand and giving her a wry look, Derek shook his head. "No one's ever gotten you angrier than I have."

"No one's made me feel more than you have. I would be so _boring_ without you."

"You're boring _with_ me."

Sniffling back tears, Casey gave him a wobbly smile, "Imagine how much worse I could be."

Taking her hands in his, Derek shook his head once again. "Case, together…together we imploded. I could never do that to you…to myself…again."

"You'll never give me another chance?" she sobbed, no longer trying to hide her tears.

Gently wiping her tears away, said, "Oh, Case. You don't need another chance with me. You don't need a man at all. You can do anything all by yourself."

"Maybe," she conceded. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to try working _with_ you. We never did that."

"We worked together towards our ruin."

Stepping back, out of his grasp, Casey accused, "I never knew you to be such a coward before, Derek Venturi. But, that's what you've become. A coward and a pessimist! We've always been better together than apart!"

Leaning forward, Derek placed a gentle kiss upon her cheek. Giving her hands one last squeeze, he said, "Good-bye, Case."

As soon as the door shut behind him, Casey's knees collapsed beneath her as she burst into tears. When Marti dropped down next to her and pulled her into a hug, Casey clung to the young girl as if Marti were a life preserver in the middle of the sea.

* * *

Six months later, Derek was pretty sure that despite the fact that Casey never came to this secluded little cabin by the lake that she would kill him if she knew he was there. He was fairly sure that his abrupt departure from their sibling's wedding lost him any and all good points he might possibly have won back. He was also almost certain she hated him once again. Even his Smarti was being cool to him when he called, so he didn't hold out much hope for his keener ex to ever forgive him.

So lost in these thoughts Derek never heard the sound of familiar footsteps crunching up the gravel walkway to the porch. He did, however, hear a familiar, teasing voice say, "Derek Venturi do you understand the concept of trespassing?"

Seeing her grin, Derek leaned back in his chair full of smirking confidence.

"Well, Case, seeing as you never come up here I didn't think you'd mind."

Slowly making her way up the stairs, Casey truthfully said, "We spent our honeymoon here. We were _so_ happy. I couldn't tarnish that memory, not with as angry as I was."

Turning from their teasing to such a serious answer threw Derek, leaving him unsure of what to say.

"So…um…why _are_ you here?"

Smiling once again, as she leaned against the post holding the porch roof up, Casey explained, "No one knew where you were so I thought I'd take chance and come up here. You always liked to come up here when you were stressing. I'm fairly certain you hid from me here multiple times when I was being a raving bitch."

Grinning in acknowledgement of her accusation, Derek asked, "Why did you want to find me? I wouldn't think I'd be on your list of favorite persons."

Laughing, Casey shook her head. "You weren't, for quite some time."

"So, what changed things?"

"Who said anything changed?"

"Teasing," he countered with a knowing smirk.

"Touché," she agreed, smile widening. Becoming serious once more, Casey told him, "I thought about what you said."

"What _I_ said?"

"Yes, _you_. Everything you said that week of my disastrous almost-marriage."

"A lot of it was unfair," Derek half-apologized.

"Maybe," Casey conceded. "But it was things I needed to hear." Taking a deep breath, she reluctantly continued, "During the wedding reception, Noel asked me to runaway with him."

"What did you say?"

Casey snorted in disbelief. "Seriously Derek, I'm standing here with you…I said that he needed to pull his head out of the sand and do something about Sally before she left him."

Grinning, Derek asked, "What did _he_ say?"

"Sally's in love with me?" Casey shook her head. "He's a rather dense boy. He was so busy chasing the vision of me he had in high school that he didn't realize a real live girl was right there waiting for him."

"So, did he act on you sly little prompting there or did he continue to pretend he was an ostridge?"

"He and Sally are now dating…actually, I just got a wedding invitation from them in the mail yesterday."

"Good for them."

"I'm going to send them a wok."

"Going for original, Case?" Derek asked with raised brows.

"Everyone gives toasters or candle sticks."

"Now that we've got that out of the way…"

"Der-ek," Casey sighed. "You painted this picture of me…"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted.

"No," she corrected with a shake of her head. "You've got nothing to be sorry about. I was a bitch…and it's about time I corrected it. About a week after…well, all that, I started seeing a counselor."

"Oh?"

"I've been trying out the twelve step program."

"I thought those were only for addictions," Derek uncomfortably laughed.

Casey nodded. "I have addictive thought patterns. When things aren't going the way I want them to, I lash out."

"That's natural."

"I got you fired and banned from hockey all together, Derek."

"Don't think so highly of yourself, Princess. I was angry and depressed, no one wanted liquor bottles thrown at their head during work. Kowalski said I either got dry or I got out. I left. Later I decided to get dry…after I lost everything, of course."

"Oh," Casey breathed, shifting uncomfortably. "Then I guess you won't be happy that I went to Kowalski and begged him for a job—for you that is. He said if you wanted, he'd hire you on as a color commentator as you were _the best damn bit of colo__r he'd ever had_."

Derek blinked at her for a bit, unsure of just what he should say. Finally he said, "You went to Kowalski for me? But he completely intimidates you."

"He slaps everyone on the hinny and yells instead of talks. What's not intimidating about that man who's also the size of a house?"

"Why?"

Casey thought about not understanding what he meant, but shook that thought away, deciding they really needed to _finally_ clear the air.

"To make up for how I treated you...I know this doesn't do it, but I thought it might help. Marti told me that you were moonlighting as a gossip columnist and a romance novelist and I just didn't think you could be enjoying that."

"It's not so bad," Derek replied with a shrug. "I get to make my own hours."

"But, romance novelist?"

"I just used all those overdone ideas on how you wanted your various boyfriends to act."

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" he countered, unsure of her meaning.

"Didn't I have overdone ideas about you?"

"Not till the end…or not till you realized how far we went. Money wasn't good for us."

"No," Casey agreed, sitting down on the wooden porch steps. "No, it wasn't it. Though, I don't suppose you can blame it all on the money. Most of it was us." After moment of surprisingly comfortable silence, she added, "I sold the house."

"Oh? Who'd you sell it too?"

"To some group that does retreats for at-risk youth."

"You didn't make any money off of that."

"No, I lost quite a bit actually."

"What about Ralph? Where does he work now?"

"He's still there. Tending the horses. Flirting with the counselors."

"Sounds like he's in heaven."

"You know Ralph," Casey agreed.

"Kendra's pregnant," Derek offered, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Sam must be excited."

"Petrified."

Glancing up at Derek, Casey found herself sharing a genuine smile with him.

"Kendra will keep him too busy for him to concentrate on being scared."

"She will," Derek agreed.

Standing up, Casey brushed off the seat of her pants before taking once last look around the peaceful area. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "I've transferred the ownership papers of the cabin into your name. I've also written out a cashier's check in your name for eight-twelfths of the amount I got for the house. I thought it was only fair. All the paperwork is with Sam so…I guess I'll see you around."

Derek sat, stunned, for a whole minute, watching her walk away, before he scrambled to his feet and chased after his ex-wife.

"Casey!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her arm and swung her around. "Where are you going?"

"Home," she answered with a shrug. "Actually it's a hotel room in town, but I haven't moved anywhere yet so it's as close to home as I've got."

Gripping both her arms to make sure she couldn't get away, Derek looked deeply into her eyes and said, "At our wedding, in your vows, you said that I would always be your home. No matter where we lived or what we did, as long as we were together you'd be home."

"Derek, that was…"

"Did you mean it?"

"Of course," Casey instantly replied. "You know that I'm a terrible liar—except when it comes to lying to myself."

Ignoring everything else she said, but concentrating on her answer, Derek argued, "Then you can't go anywhere."

"What? Derek, my clothes and my toothbrush…"

"We'll pick them up but you're staying with me."

"Der-ek! What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that for almost three years now I've been homeless. You were right, I was being a coward. I was afraid of us imploding once again."

"Der-ek," Casey whispered, leaning towards him.

Wrapping his arms about her and gently cradling her head in one hand, he said, "I'm tired of arguing and fighting. I want to come home, Case."

Throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his neck, Casey replied, "Welcome home."

* * *

**Two Years Later**

"Come on Peter," Lizzie encouraged her five-month-old baby. "Roll over! Show Grandma and Grandpa what you can do!"

Kneeling next to his wife on the brightly colored blanket that young Peter was laying on, Edwin added, "You're such a smart boy, Peter! You can do it! Roll Over!"

Plopping down next to his wife on the couch, Derek wrapped his arm around Casey's shoulders, leaning into her ear to whisper, "That kid has too much Venturi in him. He's never going to roll over while we're all watching."

"Hush," Casey reprimanded, lightly slapping his leg. "They might hear you."

"Not when I'm practically nibbling your ear."

Giggling as he blew into her ear, Casey commanded, "Stop that."

"Make me," Derek countered with a teasing grin.

Turning her head to look him in the eyes, Casey said, "We'll have to watch _our_ baby when company comes over because he or she will be too much like us and such a show off, our baby will just roll right out the door if we're not watching."

"What?"

"You heard me," she whispered back, a large smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Seriously?" he asked, getting excited.

Casey just nodded.

"Wow!" Derek breathed

"I know!"

"A little us?"

"Crazy right?"

Pulling Casey into a tight hug, Derek decided, "Good crazy."


End file.
